Washington § 90.14.020 - Legislative declaration.

The legislature finds that:

(1) Extensive uncertainty exists regarding the volume of private claims to water in the state;

(2) Such uncertainty seriously retards the efficient utilization and administration of the state's water resources, and impedes the fullest beneficial use thereof;

(3) A strong beneficial use requirement as a condition precedent to the continued ownership of a right to withdraw or divert water is essential to the orderly development of the state;

(4) Enforcement of the state's beneficial use policy is required by the state's rapid growth;

(5) All rights to divert or withdraw water, except riparian rights which do not diminish the quantity of water remaining in the source such as boating, swimming, and other recreational and aesthetic uses must be subjected to the beneficial use requirement;

(6) The availability for appropriation of additional water as a result of the requirements of this chapter will accelerate growth, development, and diversification of the economy of the state;

(7) Water rights will gain sufficient certainty of ownership as a result of this chapter to become more freely transferable, thereby increasing the economic value of the uses to which they are put, and augmenting the alienability of titles to land.