What are the types of water rights held by users?

Water law in Washington is governed by a system of public trust and justice that grants users a range of rights and responsibilities related to the use of water resources. In the state of Washington, individuals and organizations can acquire certain rights to use and manage water resources. These rights are held in the form of water rights, which can either be "instream" or "offsite." Instream water rights are those which are exercised within the boundaries of a designated stream or waterway and are used by individuals or organizations to draw, divert, or impound water from the natural flow of the waterway. These rights are typically obtained through the filing of a water right application with the Washington Department of Ecology and are subject to certain permitting requirements. Offsite water rights are rights obtained through the filing of a water right application with the Washington Department of Ecology to use, impound, divert, or store water in locations outside of a stream or waterway. In many cases, the rights are contingent upon the construction of an offsite storage or diversion facility to store and transport the water resources. Finally, water users may also acquire rights to use groundwater resources, typically obtained through groundwater permits issued by the Washington Department of Ecology. These permits are generally limited to specific locations and usually require users to limit their withdrawals in order to protect groundwater resources from overuse. Overall, water rights in Washington are held via a variety of mechanisms ranging from instream water rights to offsite storage and use rights and groundwater permits. These rights are subject to the complex water laws that govern Washington state, and all water users must understand and comply with these laws to ensure their rights are protected.

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What are the types of water rights held by users?

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