If I am interested in obtaining water for 2024 and beyond, what do I need to do?
Submit a Water Request form, which can be found on this page, to the SVWID within the Marketing Window: December 1 -December 15, 2023. Request forms must be submitted by close of business on December 15.
Who is eligible to lease water for use on their farm in 2024?
All SVWID members and their tenants. Due to Department of Ecology rules and regulations about where and how water rights can be moved, final eligibility to is determined after water right transfers are filed and reviewed by Ecology.
What is the cost of leasing water rights?
The SVWID is offering water at $125/ acre-foot to eligible buyers. Beginning in the 2017 irrigation season, SVWID conducted a two-way water right auction that resulted in a $125/acre-foot market price for 1-year water right leases. In addition to the $125 /acre-foot water price, buyers will also be required to pay a $50 Department of Ecology administrative processing fee and a $250 fee to cover SVWID administrative costs for a total of $300 in fees per application per site. This one-time fee is for the duration of the lease of one to five years. Renewing water buyers in 2024 will be required to pay the $50 Ecology fee.
How long can I lease water for?
The SVWID is accepting requests for water right leases for a period of 1-5 years. All buyers must specify on the Water Request Form how many years (1-5) they wish to lease water. New buyers are only eligible for a one-year lease term. Renewing buyers are eligible for 1-5 years, but the length of requested lease term cannot be guaranteed.
What will the SVWID do if there are more requests than water that is available?
If demand for water exceeds supply, the SVWID will first attempt to solicit additional water supplies to meet the requested need. If this effort is not successful, the SVWID Board of Commissioners will determine a procedure for allocating available water. The SVWID will notify all buyers on or before the February 2024 SVWID Board meeting as to whether or not the SVWID is able to satisfy Buyer requests for water.
How does the SVWID match buyer's requests to lease water with available water?
Once the marketing window is closed the SVWID will know how much water has been requested and for what duration and where. The SVWID will attempt to match available water supply with demand.
If my request for water is accepted by the SVWID what do I do next?
The SVWID will provide you with instructions once your request is accepted. The key steps will be to:
- Work with the SVWID to submit a Water Right Transfer application to the Department of Ecology.
- Sign a Lease Contract with the SVWID.
Approval from the Department of Ecology will trigger the next step, which is payment.
Tell me more about payment.
Once the Department of Ecology approves the Water Right Transfer, and prior to the required publication of a legal notice, payment will be due for the first year.
For water right leases of more than 1 year, payment is due on October 15, annually, after the first year. A payment plan may be available, by written or email request to the director (erin@svwid.com), for buyers who cannot pay their entire payment by the payment due date.
Buyers whose requests are accepted but who do not pay in full by the final payment date or as agreed to in a payment plan will no longer be considered members of the SVWID in good standing, and may not be eligible to receive water from the SVWID until they are back in good standing.
What is the role of the Department of Ecology in the 2024 Water Bank?
The Washington State Department of Ecology is the state agency that manages water resources. All changes to water rights including temporarily moving water rights from one user to another must be approved first by Ecology. The SVWID is working closely with Ecology to make sure that proposed temporary transfers that are identified in the auction can be approved efficiently before the start of the 2024 irrigation season.
What key dates do I need to remember?
| December 1 – December 15 2023 | Marketing Window: SVWID accepts requests from Buyers to lease water |
| February 14, 2024
|
SVWID notifies Buyers if request for water could be matched with supply;
Executed leases with Buyers complete; SVWID submits Water Right Transfer applications to Ecology. |
| On or about March 31, 2024 | Ecology responses expected;
2024 payment due; Publication of required public notice (30-day comment period required for lease terms greater than 1 year). |
| October 15, 2024 | Subsequent year payments due from Buyers |
| October 31, 2024 | Irrigation season ends |