Cascadia Daily News Feature

Reporter: Isaac Stone Simonelli June 17, 2026

“The solutions to Whatcom County’s deluge of water during the winter and increasingly severe droughts in the summer are complex — but not insurmountable, says Water for Whatcom, a fledgling coalition of environmentalists, developers and farmers.

The group announced on Tuesday, June 16 its intentions to help identify and implement solutions to water issues in the county. It’s a process set to run in parallel with adjudication, which is solely focused on establishing a pecking order for water rights.

“It’s a pretty unique group that’s bringing together people that normally have not gotten along very well on water issues in the past decade,” Carl Weimer, environmental advocate and former Whatcom County Council member, told Cascadia Daily News.

One statement members of the group agree on: We have water resources issues in Whatcom County — and it is in everyone’s interest to cooperate as pressures from climate change threaten to outpace the lengthy adjudication process.

The sweeping water rights lawsuit will establish priority for each individual water right, including those held by farmers, local governments, private well owners and tribes, as well as federal and state agencies. This will include groundwater, surface water and instream flow rights, which are essential for salmon habitat.”

Read the full article by following the link to Cascadia Daily News.