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| Bob Greiff, 85 years-old at the time this photo was taken |
Bob farms 160 acres in Spokane County, Washington. He rotates alfalfa, oats, hay, and barley. His fields are evenly split by a road—two 80-acre tracts to the south and north of the ribbon. The property has been in the family since the 1930s and their water-rights (totalling 136 acre-feet per year) date back to 1949. In 1953, Bob's father ran a pipe beneath the road so he could irrigate the higher field which was flatter and had higher quality soil.
Bob uses rotation to break-up disease cycles and to minimize the money he spends on fertilizer.
In 2019 he was fined $121,000 and a lien was filed against his property because he was using some of the water on the OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD from the parcel that was listed on the paperwork granting the water rights. Furthermore, he had to cease using the water on the better half of his property.
Bob has been contesting the fee based on how long he has been using the water on both sides of the road and the fact that they are contiguous properties AND HE DID NOT DRAW A DROP MORE THAN 136 acre-feet, EVER! He hired an expert. The expert found out:
“The research showed Bob’s water rights don’t cover south of the road. Ecology doesn’t seem to register the significance of irrigating in plain sight for decades, but I found an explanation for it. In 1968, Bob filed to irrigate both north and south, and it was approved in 1975. But when Ecology certified the right in 1983, they left out the south part, possibly in error.”
The board verbally agreed to withdraw the assessment and liens but then changed their minds.
As it stands, Bob has to take out a reverse-mortgage to pay the fine while it is contested.
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| List of the Water Conservancy Board for Spokane County, Washington |
Sort of makes you wonder if anybody on the Irrigation Board has a nephew in real-estate.
Hat-tip to Coyote Ken
Government is the problem. In just about all it's forms. Inevitably, it becomes corrupted.
ReplyDeleteWho snitched? How did this come to the attention of the regulators? Somebody must have been looking through records and cross referencing to find the initial "infraction".
ReplyDeleteThis BS continues folks like Bob and friends family may permanently disappear these lawmakers and their minions.
ReplyDeleteNot the smartest comment to post on the open internet.
DeleteKyle Rittenhouse's internet history was searched by the Feds during his trial.
Happily Kyle didn't post comments like this.
Everyone, has an address, not just us.
DeleteAnd anonymous or fake names online ALSO have an address. Please spare me the giggles of VPNs and all that.
DeleteIn a computer power vs computer power, our personal computers vs NSA's and Co supercomputers (So 2000) and or more powerful ones today.
Did you happen to miss over the past few years how all those anon email systems and VPN's turned out to be owned by the Fed?
Don't say anything online you'd wouldn't say Loudly in the middle of a pub.
OPSEC is a good idea.
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ReplyDeleteNow pull the string on lands subject to Spanish water laws, where first use rights applies. And mix in Indian reservation and all other lands - who claim first use even if they didn't actually farm. We are headed in a silly direction similar to the recent Canadia issues around BC if this doesn't get 'fixed.'
ReplyDeleteBob is of the age where steel plate , a welder and a bulldozer might be an appropriate response...
ReplyDeleteI suspect Bob is a grandfather with an extended family (who would suffer along with him) and is unlikely to create an urban legend.
DeleteMatter of fact I suspect my extended family in Selah WA probably know Bob personally. Rancher-farmers tend to help each other with setting up rotating water systems and such.
Bob isn't an idiot.