Your Local Water Bank
Okanogan County Water Bank will be fully functioning with water available to support agriculture and beneficial uses in both watersheds.
Benefits of a local water bank
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A locally administered bank
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Protects water rights from relinquishment
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Prevents downstream and out of basin water right transfers
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Provides water for agricultural and domestic use (dependent on the type of water right)
Resources
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How to Protect Your Water Rights: 2018 presentation by Okanogan CD, Washington Water Trust, and Trout Unlimited​
Water Bank FAQ
What is a Water Bank?
The water supply in the majority of the state is fully allocated, which means that generally new water rights are no longer available. The legislature wanted to create a tool for providing new sources of water, so they established legislation to allow the State to establish water banks.
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Water banks are essentially one or more water rights that have been conveyed to the State’s Trust Water Rights Program, and are managed under an agreement between the water banker and the State (Department of Ecology). The water rights are then protected from relinquishment, and able to provide mitigation for new water uses within an eligible area (referred to as the mitigation suitability area). Water banks are a proven and effective tool for management of water rights.
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What is the Okanogan Conservation District?
The Okanogan Conservation District is a non-regulatory agency that works with volunteer landowners towards conservation efforts across Okanogan County. The District provides services related to natural resource conservation such as habitat and water conservation, agricultural assistance services, wildfire preparedness and recovery, as well as, youth and community conservation education.
What is the Motivation Behind the District Creating a Water Bank?
Establishment of a water bank pairs well with the District’s focus on water conservation and maintaining viable agriculture. Water banks create a way for us to keep water in our county and make it available for re-allocation for new uses and the long-term benefit of the county.
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Local preservation and management of water rights – Typically, water rights can be transferred downstream but not back upstream. This means that when water rights get transferred downstream out of headwater basins like in Okanogan County, they can’t be transferred back up stream. Additionally, like most places in Washington state, water rights in Okanogan County are over-allocated and the State is no longer issuing water rights for new uses. A water bank would provide a mechanism for existing water rights in the County to be protected from relinquishment and provide water for new agricultural uses within the County for the future.
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Providing mitigation for new water rights – Water from the Okanogan County Water Bank is intended to be used to supply fair-market mitigation for new water rights within Okanogan County, that is administered and managed locally. The District’s side of the bank will supply mitigation for new agricultural uses, while the County side of the bank will supply mitigation for year-round domestic uses. The exact locations of the new uses will depend on the water rights which are acquired into the bank.​
What is the Process of Creating a Water Bank?
The process consists of both seeding the bank (putting water rights into the bank) and establishing the structure of the bank. Seeding the bank entails identifying available and eligible water rights, conveying those rights to the State’s Trust Water Rights Program, and finally establishing an agreement with Ecology regarding management of those rights. The structure of the bank consists of forms, procedures, guidance, and policy and will be informed through outreach to the community and stakeholders.
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Where is the District Getting Funding for this Effort?
The legislature heard the concerns of the community and created the Water Banking Proviso to help protect water rights in upstream basins. The District received one of the first grants issued through Ecology’s Water Banking Pilot Grant Program in 2023, and is continuing to submit applications as new acquisition opportunities arise.
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When will the Okanogan County Water Bank be Up and Running?
We are currently in the outreach, initial development and permitting phase. We’re working on getting feedback from the community and collaborating with the County to develop the internal workings of the water bank including documentation, procedures and guidance, in addition to working on the legal agreements and permitting required to seed the bank.
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How Can the Community Participate Through the Process?
We need community support and involvement, both for putting water into the bank and using water from the bank, as well as with guiding the water bank to serve the needs of the community. The water bank also provides an opportunity for individuals who have water rights they no longer need and want to preserve their water rights for the benefit of future agriculture in their community. If you have a water right that you think you may no longer need now, please reach out to us.