WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – If you live in the county, be on the lookout for important water adjudication documents.

The Washington State Department of Ecology sent out an alert that adjudication claim forms have been sent out, and water users in the Nooksack Basin watersheds should receive them this week. The mailing list includes roughly 30,000 landowners and is the first step in the adjudication process.

As previously covered by My Bellingham Now, water adjudication is a legal process to determine the water rights for all property owners and entities in the Nooksack watershed and adjacent areas. That area is known as Water Resouces Inventory Area 1.

The Dept. of Ecology’s adjudication manager Robin McPherson says they’ve started sending claim forms to water users in the Nooksack watershed.

“It is going to be sent out Certified Mail, which is a knock at the door, or like a post it note, with instructions that will be on people’s doors or on their mailbox,” McPherson said. “So, it is hand delivery with sticky note notification if they are not home to sign.”

The sticky note will inform the addressee where they can pick up the packet in person as it cannot be left in a mailbox.

McPherson says the process can seem like a burden, but she urges property owners to take it seriously.

“If they don’t fill it out, we’ll do our best to follow up so everyone has information and a chance to participate but this is a serious legal process and ignoring it is not going to make it go away,” she said.

An informational webinar on how to fill out the documents will be held on April 16 at 5:30 p.m. with pre-registration required.

In-person seminars will also be held in Ferndale and Lynden in May.

The Dept. of Ecology says forms cannot be left in mailboxes and an adult must sign for them. USPS will attempt to deliver the form once to each address. After that, recipients will have 15 days to pick up the packet at the post office.