Title 90, WATER RIGHTS—ENVIRONMENT

(1) A development shall not be undertaken on the shorelines of the state unless it is consistent with the policy of this chapter and, after adoption or approval, as appropriate, the applicable guidelines, rules, or master program. (2) A substantial development shall not be undert…

(1) The time requirements of this section shall apply to all substantial development permits and to any development authorized pursuant to a variance or conditional use permit authorized under this chapter. Upon a finding of good cause, based on the requirements and circumstances…

(1) A public or private project that is designed to improve fish or wildlife habitat or fish passage shall be exempt from the substantial development permit requirements of this chapter when all of the following apply: (a) The project has been approved by the department of fish a…

With respect to timber situated within two hundred feet abutting landward of the ordinary high water mark within shorelines of statewide significance, the department or local government shall allow only selective commercial timber cutting, so that no more than thirty percent of t…

(1) Seabed mining for hard minerals and surface drilling for oil or gas is prohibited in the waters of Puget Sound north to the Canadian boundary and the Strait of Juan de Fuca seaward from the ordinary high water mark and on all lands within one thousand feet landward from said …

A shorelines hearings board sitting as a quasi-judicial body is hereby established within the environmental and land use hearings office under *RCW 43.21B.005. The shorelines hearings board shall be made up of six members: Three members shall be members of the pollution control h…

The shorelines hearings board may adopt rules and regulations governing the administrative practice and procedure in and before the board. [ 1973 1st ex.s. c 203 s 3.]

(1)(a) Any person aggrieved by the granting, denying, or rescinding of a permit on shorelines of the state pursuant to RCW 90.58.140 may seek review from the shorelines hearings board by filing a petition for review within 21 days of the date of filing of the decision as defined …

(1) In the case of an appeal involving a single-family residence or appurtenance to a single-family residence, including a dock or pier designed to serve a single-family residence, appeals involving a penalty of fifteen thousand dollars or less, or other cases designated by the c…

(1) The appeal of the department's decision to adopt a master program or amendment pursuant to RCW 90.58.070(2) or 90.58.090(5) is governed by RCW 34.05.510 through 34.05.598. (2)(a) The department's final decision to approve or reject a proposed master program or master program …

(1) The department of ecology, in cooperation with other state agencies and coastal local governments, shall prepare and adopt ocean use guidelines and policies to be used in reviewing, and where appropriate, amending, shoreline master programs of local governments with coastal w…

The department and local governments are authorized to adopt such rules as are necessary and appropriate to carry out the provisions of this chapter. [ 1971 ex.s. c 286 s 20.]

(1) Except as provided in RCW 43.05.060 through 43.05.080 and 43.05.150, the attorney general or the attorney for the local government shall bring such injunctive, declaratory, or other actions as are necessary to ensure that no uses are made of the shorelines of the state in con…

In addition to incurring civil liability under RCW 90.58.210, any person found to have wilfully engaged in activities on the shorelines of the state in violation of the provisions of this chapter or any of the master programs, rules, or regulations adopted pursuant thereto shall …

Any person subject to the regulatory program of this chapter who violates any provision of this chapter or permit issued pursuant thereto shall be liable for all damage to public or private property arising from such violation, including the cost of restoring the affected area to…

In addition to any other powers granted hereunder, the department and local governments may: (1) Acquire lands and easements within shorelines of the state by purchase, lease, or gift, either alone or in concert with other governmental entities, when necessary to achieve implemen…

(1) The legislature intends to eliminate the limits on state funding of shoreline master program development and amendment costs. The legislature further intends that the state will provide funding to local governments that is reasonable and adequate to accomplish the costs of de…

The state, through the department of ecology and the attorney general, shall represent its interest before water resource regulation management, development, and use agencies of the United States, including among others, the federal power commission, environmental protection agen…

(1) Nothing in this section shall constitute authority for requiring or ordering the removal of any structures, improvements, docks, fills, or developments placed in navigable waters prior to December 4, 1969, and the consent and authorization of the state of Washington to the im…

The provisions of this chapter shall be applicable to all agencies of state government, counties, and public and municipal corporations and to all shorelines of the state owned or administered by them. [ 1971 ex.s. c 286 s 28.]

The restrictions imposed by this chapter shall be considered by the county assessor in establishing the fair market value of the property. [ 1971 ex.s. c 286 s 29.]

The department of ecology is designated the state agency responsible for the program of regulation of the shorelines of the state, including coastal shorelines and the shorelines of the inner tidal waters of the state, and is authorized to cooperate with the federal government an…

Additional shorelines of the state shall be designated shorelines of statewide significance only by affirmative action of the legislature. The director of the department may, however, from time to time, recommend to the legislature areas of the shorelines of the state which have …

No permit shall be issued pursuant to this chapter for any new or expanded building or structure of more than thirty-five feet above average grade level on shorelines of the state that will obstruct the view of a substantial number of residences on areas adjoining such shorelines…

All state agencies, counties, and public and municipal corporations shall review administrative and management policies, regulations, plans, and ordinances relative to lands under their respective jurisdictions adjacent to the shorelines of the state so as the [to] achieve a use …

Nothing in this chapter shall affect any rights established by treaty to which the United States is a party. [ 1971 ex.s. c 286 s 35.]

Requirements to obtain a substantial development permit, conditional use permit, variance, letter of exemption, or other review conducted by a local government to implement this chapter do not apply to: (1) Any person conducting a remedial action at a facility pursuant to a conse…

(1) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply: (a) "Maintenance" means the preservation of the transportation facility or transit facility, including surface, shoulders, roadsides, structures including, but not limited to, bridges and buried structures, ditche…

(1) The following maintenance activities undertaken by the department of fish and wildlife, a federally recognized Indian tribe, a public utility district, or a municipal utility, necessary to maintain the operation of fish hatcheries, including water intakes and discharges, fish…

Nothing in this chapter shall obviate any requirement to obtain any permit, certificate, license, or approval from any state agency or local government. [ 1971 ex.s. c 286 s 36.]

All state and local agencies with authority under this chapter to issue permits or other authorizations in connection with emergency water withdrawals and facilities authorized under RCW 43.83B.410 shall expedite the processing of such permits or authorizations in keeping with th…

The department by rule shall adopt a manual for the delineation of wetlands under this chapter that implements and is consistent with the 1987 manual in use on January 1, 1995, by the United States army corps of engineers and the United States environmental protection agency. If …

Watershed restoration projects as defined in RCW 89.08.460 are exempt from the requirement to obtain a substantial development permit. Local government shall review the projects for consistency with the locally adopted shoreline master program in an expeditious manner and shall i…

(1) Within this section the following definitions apply: (a) "Exploration activity" means reconnaissance or survey work related to gathering information about geologic features and formations underlying or adjacent to marine waters; (b) "Marine waters" include the waters of Puget…

(1) Except as provided in RCW 43.05.060 through 43.05.080 and 43.05.150, a person who violates RCW 90.58.550, or any rule adopted thereunder, is subject to a penalty in an amount of up to five thousand dollars a day for every such violation. Each and every such violation shall be…

The department of ecology shall consult with affected state agencies, local governments, Indian tribes, and the public prior to responding to federal coastal zone management consistency certifications for uses and activities occurring on the federal outer continental shelf. [ 198…

(1) The local government may grant relief from shoreline master program development standards and use regulations within urban growth areas when the following apply: (a) A shoreline restoration project causes or would cause a landward shift in the ordinary high water mark, result…

(1) Local governments may adopt moratoria or other interim official controls as necessary and appropriate to implement this chapter. (2)(a) A local government adopting a moratorium or control under this section must: (i) Hold a public hearing on the moratorium or control; (ii) Ad…

With respect to the National Scenic Area, as defined in the Columbia [River] Gorge National Scenic Area Act, P.L. 99-663, the exercise of any power or authority by a local government or the department of ecology pursuant to this chapter shall be subject to and in conformity with …

RCW 36.70A.480 governs the relationship between shoreline master programs and development regulations to protect critical areas that are adopted under chapter 36.70A RCW. [ 2010 c 107 s 4.] Notes: Intent—Retroactive application—Effective date—2010 c 107: See notes following RCW 3…

(1) New or amended master programs approved by the department on or after September 1, 2011, may include provisions authorizing: (a) Residential structures and appurtenant structures that were legally established and are used for a conforming use, but that do not meet standards f…

The department shall update its shoreline master program guidelines to require shoreline master programs to address the impact of sea level rise and increased storm severity on people, property, and shoreline natural resources and the environment. [ 2023 c 228 s 11.]

This chapter is exempted from the rule of strict construction, and it shall be liberally construed to give full effect to the objectives and purposes for which it was enacted. [ 1971 ex.s. c 286 s 37.]

This chapter is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety, the support of the state government, and its existing institutions. This 1971 act shall take effect on June 1, 1971. The director of ecology is authorized to immediately take such ste…

The legislature finds that there is a need to establish a clear and understandable process that provides for the proper and effective management of dairy nutrients that affect the quality of surface or ground waters in the state of Washington. The legislature finds that there is …

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter. (1) "*Advisory and oversight committee" means a balanced committee of agency, dairy farm, and interest group representatives convened to provide oversight and direction t…