For Bill Information, please click HERE.   Official Text and Analysis.

Provides the option for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) to lease water rights which are appurtenant to parcels of land that are owned or managed by the WDFW for beneficial use and use the revenue for projects related to hatcheries, endangered species, land management, and salmon recovery. The substitute bill requires the WDFW to inventory in-stream uses in addition to out-ofstream uses, allows the WDFW to lease water rights for in-stream uses, limits the use of a leased water right to the original watershed, removes the ability of the WDFW to use funds in the HEAL Account to purchase land, allows the WDFW to choose donations to the State Trust Water Rights Program over for-profit leasing, and requires annual reporting on the number and use of water rights owned by the WDFW.