Home

Coming January 22, 2025: The Impact of Water Adjudication on us All

From cities and tribes to farms and businesses, everyone’s water use in Whatcom County will be impacted

Purchase of tickets in advance is strongly advised; get your tickets here.

What will be the wide-reaching impacts and implications for us all in Washington’s largest lawsuit ever? Whether residents and municipalities use city water, well water, rent or own, run a business or farm, or belong to a tribe, the Water Adjudication process will impact everyone’s water availability. The resulting legal process of Water Adjudication will quantify and prioritize water use, with the highest priority given to the oldest, continuous water use. The process determines whether each water right on a source is legal, how much water can be used, and its priority during water shortages.

Some cities and water associations do not have enough water rights to service their current customer base, and it does not appear that there will be additional rights granted. Will some of us run out of water in drought years? How will this affect adding new housing and businesses? What about our farming community? How will it impact tribal entities? One can see why this legal process will be very complex, likely contentious, and take a lot of time – perhaps decades.

This topic is timely. The Washington Department of Ecology filed a water rights adjudication with the Whatcom County Superior Court on May 2024. The formal summons is anticipated to be sent by certified mail at the earliest in March 2025. January 22 is the 165th anniversary of the Lummi Treaty of Point Elliot – a fortuitous date to understand what tribal water rights include.

Panelists include:

  • Robert Carmichael, Attorney who represents small cities and water associations
  • Perry Eskridge, Government Affairs Director, Whatcom County Association of Realtors
  • Fred Likkel, Executive Director Whatcom Family Farmers
  • Representative of the Lummi Nation TBD

Come to hear our experts, ask your questions and enjoy luncheon with new and long-term friends.

Have you been to one of our programs recently?  Consider joining the Bellingham City Club!  Click here to join.

 

Land Acknowledgement

The Board of the Bellingham City Club  has adopted the following land acknowledgement to introduce its public programs:

We begin by acknowledging, with humility, that the land where we are today is the territory of the People of the Salish Sea. Their presence is imbued in the waterways, shorelines, valleys and mountains of the traditional homelands of the Coast Salish People, and it has been this way since time immemorial.

For information about the land acknowledgement adopted by the Lummi Business Council, click here.

For a video about the Ferndale Public Schools land acknowledgement produced by Ferndale School District, Children of the Setting Sun, and the Lhaqtemish Foundation, click here.