Siskiyou Co. Farm Bureau Wins Lawsuit

Taylor Hillman General

Court
A courtroom win for a Northern California farm bureau. Sabrina Hill has more.
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A Siskiyou County judge has ruled in favor of the farm bureau in its lawsuit against the California Department of Fish and Game over water rights. The lawsuit claimed the DFG was outside its authority when it tried to require permits from farmers who were diverting portions of stream flows for irrigation. It was filed on behalf of farm bureau members who irrigate two rivers in that area, the Shasta and the Scott. In 2005, the D-F-G told those farmers they would have to provide notification and pay fees, before using their existing irrigation headgates or pumps. They said it was because of a section of fish and game code from 1961, which previously had not applied to agriculture. The California Farm Bureau Federation and other county farm bureaus from around the state supported the lawsuit, because of its statewide implications on water water rights regulations.
For an in-depth article from the Siskiyou Daily, click here.