Concerning a pilot process for the upper Columbia water rights adjudication.

Summary

The bill directs the state department to start a special water‑rights lawsuit for the upper Columbia River, temporarily suspending normal adjudication rules. It requires the department to first serve federal and federally recognized tribal governments, then identify and serve other potential claimants, and allows settlement talks and use of modern court technologies. The goal is to test whether a phased approach can lower costs and speed resolution for water users statewide.

AI-generated summary — may be incomplete or inaccurate. Verify against the official bill text.

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