Will completion of the instream flow rule make it more difficult to get a water right in the future?

New water rights have been issued on a limited basis in the Quilcene-Snow Watershed for a number of decades. The instream flow rule will probably not significantly increase or decrease the number of new permits issued but may serve to establish clearer expectations about where and when and how new water rights might be available. For example, the rule will include determinations as to water availability in various parts of the watershed. The rule may describe details as to how water rights might be conditioned related to availability or how the water might be managed. It is important for the public to work closely with Ecology as the rule is developed so that it is the result of our "best thinking."