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CITY · UTILITY FEE
Bellingham Watershed Protection Fee
Lake Whatcom Watershed Protection charge added to water bills. Not a tax — a utility fee. Pledged as bond security for land acquisition. ~$103M collected 2001-2024.
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Utility fee
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Cumulative collected
per ERU on water bill
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About this revenue source
Lake Whatcom Watershed Protection charge added to water bills. Not a tax — a utility fee. Pledged as bond security for land acquisition. ~$103M collected 2001-2024.
Authorization
Statutory or ballot basis for this revenue source.
Collection history
Year-by-year amount collected as documented in the source ledger (Annual Tax Books for property-tax sources; CAFRs and revenue schedules for others).
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Funds it feeds
Every governmental fund that this revenue source flows into. Allocation percentages are documented where the source materials specify them.
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Real-estate relevance
Fee revenue redirected to land acquisition; investigation subject
Discussed in meetings
Real Briefings that mention this revenue source.
The Public Works and Natural Resources Committee approved three significant infrastructure items that will advance sustainable forest management, reduce development costs, and improve downtown accessibility. The ...
The 18th Annual Lake Whatcom Joint Councils and Commissioners Meeting brought together officials from Whatcom County, Bellingham, and Lake Whatcom Water & Sewer District to review 2025 progress and discuss 2026 ...
The 18th annual Lake Whatcom joint meeting brought together all three governing bodies responsible for managing the region's primary drinking water source, serving over 120,000 residents. This year's meeting marked a ...
The Whatcom County Council Committee of the Whole advanced significant portions of the County's Comprehensive Plan update on March 10, 2026, approving multiple chapters with important amendments while continuing their ...
The Bellingham City Council's March 9, 2026 meeting was highlighted by a comprehensive presentation on the results of a 2025 survey of landlords and property managers regarding the city's rental fee regulations ...
The City of Bellingham Water Resources Advisory Board (WRAB) held a facilitated workshop session focused on designing the city's first-ever annual utility report. The meeting centered around a collaborative exercise led ...
The Bellingham City Council conducted a busy regular meeting covering infrastructure investment, affordable housing preservation, and committee appointments. The most significant financial action was approving a $12.8 ...
The Water Resources Advisory Board convened for its annual January meeting, where members elected new leadership and received a comprehensive overview of planned activities for 2026. Rick Eggerth was elected Chair and ...
The Whatcom County Climate Action and Natural Resources Committee advanced two significant environmental and agricultural protection measures while receiving a comprehensive presentation on long-awaited forest ...
The Whatcom County Council Committee of the Whole held a brief but substantive meeting on December 9, 2025, advancing three significant governance items while skipping comprehensive plan discussions due to time ...
Methodology note
Per-year revenue extracted from Bellingham Adopted Budget Books, fund-detail pages (TOTAL REVENUE row, summing operating + capital lines). Years marked ACTUAL are audited; PRELIMINARY and ADOPTED years are budget figures. Watershed Fund 411 is a sub-fund of the Water Fund 410 — that's why CAFRs don't break it out as a separate enterprise.