Opinion ID: 2604584
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Issue Two: Standby/Reserve

Text: YTID argues the trial court should have classified a portion of its entitlement as standby or reserve water. The court extensively detailed both YTID's and DOE's arguments on this issue in its supplemental ruling and declined to apply the designation to any of YTID's award. The standby/reserve issue is directly related to the question of relinquishment. If water is held as a standby or reserve water supply to be used in time of drought, then it is not subject to relinquishment by nonuse. RCW 90.14.140(2)(b). If, on remand, the court quantifies YTID's entitlement by applying the proper beneficial use analysis, and DOE then argues that the quantity awarded should be reduced because of abandonment, the court may have to enter a specific ruling on the standby/reserve question. Until then, the issue is not ripe for review. YTID implies that any quantity of water described as standby/reserve as a result of this adjudication would protect YTID's entitlement from future claims of relinquishment. This argument is unsupported by law. No statute authorizes a trial court presiding over a general water adjudication to classify a party's water right as standby/reserve so as to protect that entitlement from future challenges of nonuse. Whether water is used as standby or reserve is a question of fact that is relevant only at the time one asserts relinquishment.