A River in Washington State Now Has Enforceable Legal Rights

A Washington city has granted part of the Snohomish River watershed legal rights that can be enforced in court.

Voters in Everett, a community of about 110,000, enshrined the watershed’s rights to exist, regenerate and flourish into municipal law as part of a ballot initiative in November. The measure passed with 57 percent of the vote and follows a series of non-binding resolutions in towns across Washington state recognizing that endangered Southern Resident Orcas have a right to life and to be free from pollution.

Everett’s referendum is part of the fast-growing rights of nature movement that has cemented into law rights of individual species and ecosystems. The laws are aimed at preserving the integrity of the natural world and have been enacted in more than a dozen countries, including Spain, Ecuador, Colombia and New Zealand.

Everett’s new law allows city agencies, residents and organizations to enforce the watershed’s rights through lawsuits, similar to how legal guardians and representatives protect the interests of children and non-human entities like corporations and ships. If a court finds that the Snohomish River watershed’s rights have been violated, the perpetrator could be required to pay damages to the city and the funds would be used to restore the ecosystem to a healthy state.