How do water rights transfer?

In Washington, water rights are transferred through a process called “water right assignment” or “change of water right.” Water rights can be transferred from one person to another, or from one place to another. When a person or entity wants to transfer their water rights, they must submit an application to the Washington Department of Ecology. The department will review the application to make sure it meets all legal requirements and that the transfer won’t cause harm to the environment or public health. The department will also make sure that the water right being transferred is actually available for transfer. This means that the current owner of the water right must have enough water to transfer, and that taking the water from the current owner won’t affect other water rights nearby. Once the department approves the application, the water right is officially transferred. The entity receiving the water right will then be able to use it the same way the original owner did, for the same purpose. The process of transferring a water right is complex, and can take some time to complete. It is important that anyone wishing to transfer a water right understand all of the requirements so that their application can be processed quickly and correctly.

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How do water rights transfer?

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