Aquatic Land Leasing and Other Uses
DNR’s job is to protect state-owned aquatic lands, provide opportunities for public access and recreation on them, support water-dependent businesses (those that cannot be carried out anywhere except on or adjacent to the waters of the state), and promote sustainable use of shellfish and other aquatic resources.
Rights maintained for the people of Washington—as a public trust—include the public rights of fishing, navigation and commerce throughout the state-owned tidelands, freshwater shorelands, Puget Sound, the coast and other bedlands underlying navigable waters.
DNR is like a private landowner managing the land for the benefit of their children, grandchildren, and all future heirs. The landowner must make decisions today that don’t harm—and if possible, enhance—their heirs’ ability to enjoy and use the land in the future.
DNR earns revenue from leases and sale of renewable resources to support management of state aquatic lands. Revenue also pays for aquatic restoration, largely through grants to public entities, and projects that provide public access to state aquatic lands.
Current applications for use of state-owned aquatic lands
List of proposed leases and other use authorizations, including applicant, county, proposed use and the term of the use:
- DNR Rivers District
All of eastern Washington and Grays Harbor, Pacific, Thurston, Lewis, Wahkiakum, Cowlitz, Clark, and Skamania counties - DNR Orca Straits District
Clallam, Island, Jefferson, Skagit, Snohomish, San Juan and Whatcom counties - DNR Shoreline District
King, Pierce, Kitsap, Thurston (Marine County) and Mason counties
Managing uses of state aquatic lands
DNR’s authority includes the stewardship and management of the resources attached to, or in the aquatic lands (for example, seaweed, shellfish, rock, sand, minerals and oil), and man-made structures in the water and air space above state-owned aquatic lands.
On the 2.6 million acres of state-owned aquatic lands spread over 39 counties, DNR administers 4,000 use authorizations (leases for marinas, shellfish beds, rights of way across those aquatic lands, easements, and a host of other activities).
We work with our lessees to bring many benefits to the people of Washington. For example, lessees are changing the way they build docks or carry out their business in order to protect aquatic ecosystems. If a lessee provides public access areas to the water as a part of their lease, we reduce their rent.
- Dock, pier, shipyard and marina leases
- Fiber optic, power and pipeline easements
- Shellfish aquaculture leases
- Material sales agreements
- Log handling and storage leases
- Rights of entry for short-term events, studies and habitat improvements
- Road and bridge easements
- Public access easements and leases
- Buoy licenses and leases
- Conservation leases
- Inter-local agreements and Memorands of Agreement