Washington Water Trust
Washington Water Trust is a Seattle-based nonprofit founded in 1998 that restores water in Washington and Oregon rivers and streams through voluntary water-rights acquisitions, dry-year leasing, and the Dungeness Water Exchange, serving agricultural producers, tribes, and state agencies.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersSeattle, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Washington Water Trust does
Washington Water Trust (WWT) is a Seattle-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1998 by American Rivers and the Center for Environmental Law and Policy to pioneer the acquisition and lease of water rights for instream flow restoration in Washington state. Its core operating model is voluntary, market-based water transactions: WWT purchases or leases water rights from irrigators, ranchers, and other rightsholders and dedicates that water to in-stream use for salmon, steelhead, and ecosystem health. Programmatic delivery spans water-rights acquisition, dry-year leasing during drought, water-banking via the Dungeness Water Exchange, the Lorri Bodi Water Leadership Program with the UW Evans School, and the Walla Walla Basin Decision Support Tool used by state and tribal water managers. Customers and partners are segmented across agricultural producers and irrigation districts, tribal nations (Colville, Umatilla, Jamestown S'Klallam, Snoqualmie, plus others), state and local government agencies (Ecology, WDFW, DNR, Chelan County, King County, Walla Walla County), and conservation organizations, with new-home builders served as transactional customers through the Dungeness mitigation certificate program.
WWT monetizes through four revenue streams: (1) tax-deductible individual donations and vehicle donations; (2) foundation and corporate grants (Wildhorse Foundation, Russell Family Foundation, M.J. Murdock Trust, AWS, Alaska Airlines via Bonneville Environmental Foundation, King County Healthy Rivers Partnership); (3) negotiated water-rights transaction fees from purchases and leases; and (4) Dungeness Water Exchange mitigation certificates priced at $5,250 across indoor, basic outdoor, and stockwater tiers. Go-to-market is community-led and partnership-driven — WWT brokers agreements built on decades of relationships with landowners, tribes, irrigation districts, and state agencies, supported by event-based fundraising (Fly Fishing Film Tour, brewery and cidery activations), an e-newsletter, social channels, and an annual impact report.
Operations span the San Juan Islands to the Palouse, covering 50+ rivers and streams and 1,000+ river miles, with cumulative impact of more than 7 billion gallons of water protected annually as of 2025. The organization has expanded geographically into Oregon via Fifteenmile Creek in 2026, maintains offices in Seattle (headquarters, 1500 Westlake Avenue N) and Ellensburg, employs 11–50 staff, and is led by Executive Director James Kraft. Notable project outcomes include Teanaway steelhead recovery from fewer than 100 fish returning basin-wide to 100+ spawning in one tributary, a 50% increase in Teanaway fish habitat, 1.3 billion gallons annually restored to Icicle Creek, and 423+ million gallons annually in the Walla Walla Basin.
Washington Water Trust firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Washington Water Trust
- Legal name
- Washington Water Trust
- Website
- https://washingtonwatertrust.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Washington Water Trust is a Seattle-based nonprofit founded in 1998 that restores water in Washington and Oregon rivers and streams through voluntary water-rights acquisitions, dry-year leasing, and the Dungeness Water Exchange, serving agricultural producers, tribes, and state agencies.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Washington Water Trust industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Water Conservation Services
- NAICS
- Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK)
Keywords
Where Washington Water Trust is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seattle
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Washington Water Trust business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Contributions: WWT accepts tax-deductible donations from individuals to support their river restoration work. They run one-time and recurring donation campaigns and vehicle donation programs.
- Grants and Foundation Funding: WWT receives grants from foundations such as The Wildhorse Foundation ($28,940 grant in 2026), as well as corporate partners like Amazon Web Services for drought relief programs.
- Water Transaction Fees: Revenue from water rights transactions, including purchases, leases, and dry year leasing programs with landowners during drought conditions.
- Dungeness Water Exchange Mitigation Certificates: The Dungeness Water Exchange sells mitigation certificates for new home construction to offset water use impacts, with indoor mitigation at $5,250, outdoor mitigation at $5,250, and stockwater mitigation at $5,250.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | One time | Indoor Water Mitigation - Year-Round Use |
| Transaction based/ take rate | One time | Basic Outdoor Mitigation - Seasonal (April 15 - September 15) |
| Transaction based/ take rate | One time | Stockwater Mitigation - Year-Round Use |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels9 records
Washington Water Trust product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Washington Water Trust is a nonprofit organization that voluntarily acquires and leases water rights from landowners to keep water instream for streamflow restoration in Washington state. The organization operates the Dungeness Water Exchange, a mitigation program that issues mitigation certificates to new home builders, and develops decision support tools such as the Walla Walla Basin Decision Support Tool to inform water resources planning.
Product overview
Washington Water Trust offers a portfolio of water conservation programs and tools centered on its core mission of protecting and restoring water in Washington rivers and streams. The organization's main offerings include the Dungeness Water Exchange (a water bank for mitigation certificates), streamflow restoration programs through water rights acquisition and dry-year leasing, the Lorri Bodi Water Leadership Program for developing future conservation leaders, and the Walla Walla Basin Decision Support Tool for watershed planning. These programs work together to address water scarcity through collaborative, market-based approaches.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Dungeness Water Exchange: A water bank operated by Washington Water Trust in the Dungeness River basin that ensures new homes built since 2013 have no negative impact on stream flows
- Lorri Bodi Water Leadership Program
- Healthy Rivers Partnership
Products and services
- Dungeness Water Exchange Mitigation program that issues mitigation certificates to new home builders in the Dungeness watershed to offset water use impacts, enabling compliance with state water resource requirements.
- Streamflow Restoration Programs Voluntary acquisition and leasing of water rights from landowners to keep water instream for streamflow and habitat restoration, serving state agencies, tribes, and conservation partners.
- Lorri Bodi Water Leadership Program Water leadership development program designed to build capacity in the water resources sector.
- Walla Walla Basin Decision Support Tool Decision support tool developed for the Walla Walla Basin to inform water resource planning, instream flow management, and restoration decision-making.
Quantifiable outcome
- 7+ billion gallons of water protected annually
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Washington Water Trust
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Washington Water Trust technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Washington Water Trust partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered secondary, core and emerging.
- University of Washington Evans School of Public Policy & GovernancesecondaryWWT partners with UW Evans School through the Lorri Bodi Water Leadership Program, hosting capstone projects and interns who research water policy modernization and Streamflow Restoration Act implementation.
- Fifteenmile Watershed CouncilcoreWWT launched restoration projects in Oregon in partnership with the Fifteenmile Watershed Council. The Council is enthusiastic about WWT's progress in securing water leases for the creek.
- Washington State Department of EcologycoreDepartment of Ecology provides support for emergency drought programs and collaborates with WWT on basin planning initiatives. They enable emergency drought funding and coordinate on regulatory aspects of water transactions.
- Jamestown S'Klallam TribecoreThe Tribe partners with WWT on salmon conservation in the Dungeness, including pulse flow coordination and salmon monitoring. Their Natural Resources Director oversees instream salmon movement tracking to refine restoration efforts.
- Snoqualmie TribeemergingWWT is working with the Snoqualmie Tribe in 2025 to help them assess how to protect and restore water in the Upper Snoqualmie watershed.
- Washington State Department of Natural ResourcessecondaryWWT is advising DNR on how to best manage their estimated 3,000 water rights statewide, including how to meet climate resiliency goals.
- Cascade Orchard Irrigation Company (COIC)coreCOIC partnered with WWT and Chelan County to build a new high-efficiency pump station on Icicle Creek, replacing an open ditch irrigation diversion. This allows 1.3 billion gallons annually to remain instream.
- Chelan CountycoreChelan County Natural Resources Department partnered with WWT and COIC on the Icicle Creek pump station project, contributing funding and coordination for streamflow restoration.
- Washington Conservation CorpssecondaryWCC crews worked with the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe to move rocks and set up aquadams to channel flows in the Dungeness River during drought response.
- Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian ReservationcoreCTUIR partnered with WWT in the Walla Walla Water 2050 planning process. Their Habitat Conservation Project Leader played a key role in securing unanimous passage of Walla Walla Water 2050 legislation.
- Washington Department of Fish and WildlifecoreWDFW fish biologists monitor flows in the Teanaway River and collaborate with WWT on drought response strategies. Their measurements help guide streamflow restoration decisions.
- Confederated Tribes of the Colville ReservationcoreThe Colville Tribes partnered with WWT and Helensdale Reclamation District on Loup Loup Creek restoration. They led culvert replacement projects opening 7+ miles of habitat for steelhead and contributed funding through the NFWF Accord Agreement.
- Helensdale Reclamation DistrictcoreEntered into a 20-year water lease with WWT to stop diverting irrigation water from Loup Loup Creek. Used lease funds to upgrade pump station and improve water delivery system.
- American RiverscoreOne of the two founding organizations of Washington Water Trust in 1998. American Rivers is a national conservation group that pioneered the water rights acquisition approach.
- Center for Environmental Law and PolicycoreOne of the two founding organizations of Washington Water Trust in 1998. CELP is a public interest environmental law firm focused on protecting Washington's waters.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Washington Water Trust competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Oregon Water Trust: Oregon's counterpart nonprofit water trust, using water rights acquisitions, leases, and instream flow restoration to restore rivers statewide. Directly comparable mission, methodology, and stakeholder model to Washington Water Trust.
- Colorado Water Trust: Nonprofit dedicated to restoring flows to Colorado's rivers through voluntary water rights transactions. Closest analog to WWT's market-based acquisition and leasing model in a different western state.
- Freshwater Trust (Ecotrust): PNW-based nonprofit focused on restoring freshwater ecosystems through market-based transactions and instream flow restoration. Operates with a similar mission and acquisition methodology to WWT.
- Deschutes River Conservancy: Oregon-based nonprofit working on streamflow restoration in the Deschutes Basin through water rights transactions and conservation partnerships. Directly comparable restoration model and stakeholder structure.
Others
- Bonneville Environmental Foundation: Portland-based nonprofit that channels corporate and individual funding toward water restoration projects, including connecting Alaska Airlines and AWS to WWT's programs. Acts as both funder and implementation partner in the PNW water ecosystem.
- American Rivers: National river conservation organization and co-founder of Washington Water Trust in 1998. Operates at national scale with overlapping mission and provides legacy methodological DNA to WWT.
- Center for Environmental Law and Policy: Washington-based public interest environmental law firm and WWT co-founder. Operates in adjacent policy/legal space addressing water rights and instream flow protections that underpin WWT's transactions.
Broad incumbents
- Trout Unlimited: National coldwater fisheries conservation organization with significant PNW chapter activity focused on streamflow and habitat restoration. Operates as a broader incumbent with overlapping goals but a national membership-based structure.
- The Nature Conservancy (Washington): Global environmental nonprofit with a major Washington chapter investing in water and watershed protection. Larger, broader portfolio that overlaps with WWT's mission but operates at very different scale and scope.
Regional players
- Methow Conservancy: Eastern Washington land and water-focused conservancy serving the Methow Valley. Comparable in mission around watershed protection but focused on a single basin rather than statewide.
Market position
Strengths6 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Customer concentration
Washington Water Trust social profiles
Digital presenceWashington Water Trust financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Washington Water Trust leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Washington Water Trust funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Washington Water Trust M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Washington Water Trust
What does Washington Water Trust do?
Washington Water Trust is a nonprofit organization that voluntarily acquires and leases water rights from landowners to keep water instream for streamflow restoration in Washington state. The organization operates the Dungeness Water Exchange, a mitigation program that issues mitigation certificates to new home builders, and develops decision support tools such as the Walla Walla Basin Decision Support Tool to inform water resources planning.
Is Washington Water Trust a public or private company?
Washington Water Trust is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Washington Water Trust founded?
Washington Water Trust was founded in 1998. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Washington Water Trust based?
Washington Water Trust is headquartered in Seattle, United States, in the North America region.
How does Washington Water Trust make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Donations and Contributions are the primary driver. The others are grants and Foundation Funding, water Transaction Fees and dungeness Water Exchange Mitigation Certificates.
Who are Washington Water Trust's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Oregon Water Trust, Colorado Water Trust, Freshwater Trust (Ecotrust) and Deschutes River Conservancy. Others are Bonneville Environmental Foundation, American Rivers and Center for Environmental Law and Policy. Broad incumbents are Trout Unlimited and The Nature Conservancy (Washington). Methow Conservancy is listed as a regional player.
Does Washington Water Trust have an API?
No public API is recorded for Washington Water Trust.
What industry is Washington Water Trust in?
Washington Water Trust's product category is Water Conservation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAGAK, Water Resources & Watershed Protection. Its NAICS code is 22131.