Ordinary high water mark
Under Washington's Shoreline Management Act, the ordinary high water mark (OHWM) is defined as a biological vegetation mark. For locations where the OHWM cannot be found, our Shoreline Master Program guidelines include default elevation lines for tidal and freshwater shorelines.
Definition
The ordinary high water mark is defined as:
"Provided, that in any area where the ordinary high water mark cannot be found, the ordinary high water mark adjoining salt water shall be the line of mean higher high tide and the ordinary high water mark adjoining fresh water shall be the line of mean high water."
- Accretion
- Activities of beavers and other animals and organisms
- Consistency of pool elevations
- Erosion
- Groundwater
- Land-use changes
- Presence of peat
- Soils
- Stormwater runoff
- Substrates
- Waves
- Wind
Related links
Contact information
Central Regional Office:
Chelan, Douglas, and Okanogan counties
Alicia Schulz
[email protected]
509-379-4541
Benton, Kittitas, Klickitat, and Yakima counties
Ryan Anderson
[email protected]
509-379-1917
Eastern Regional Office:
Adams, Grant, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, and Spokane south of I-90, Stevens, and Walla Walla counties
Matt Fisher
[email protected]
509-601-9546
Asotin, Columbia, Ferry, Garfield, Franklin, Spokane north of I-90, Stevens, and Walla Walla counties
Hallie Ladd
[email protected]
509-309-5547
Northwest Regional Office:
King County
Leah Beckett
[email protected]
425-324-5590
Neil Molstad
[email protected]
425-389-5549
Snohomish county
Doug Gresham
[email protected]
425-429-1846
Island county
Leah Beckett
[email protected]
425-324-5590
Kitsap county
Neil Molstad
[email protected]
425-389-5549
Whatcom, San Juan, and Skagit Counties
Chris Luerkens
[email protected]
360-410-4807
Southwest Regional Office:
Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, and Mason counties
Lizzie Carp
[email protected]
564-200-4184
Grays Harbor, Lewis, Pierce, and Thurston counties
Zach Meyer
[email protected]
360-481-9885
Clark, Cowlitz, Skamania, and Wahkiakum counties
Meghan Tait
meghan.tait@ecy.wa.gov
360-210-2783