http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120726/NEWS/207260314
I couldn't believe this.
"A rural Eagle Point man was sentenced to 30 days in jail Wednesday for filling what state water managers have called three illegal reservoirs on his property.
Gary Harrington was also fined more than $1,500 for nine misdemeanor convictions for filling his reservoirs with rain and snow runoff that the state says is owned by the Medford Water Commission. He was given two weeks to report to the Jackson County Jail to begin serving his sentence.
At the center of the case was a 1925 state law giving the water commission exclusive rights to all the water in Big Butte Creek, its tributaries and Big Butte Springs the core of the city's municipal water supply.
In court filings Harrington had argued that he's not diverting water from the creek system, merely capturing rainwater and snowmelt from his 172 acres along Crowfoot Road."
It rains quite a bit here in Oregon, and collecting rain water is fairly common.
The surprising part was this verdict was from a JURY! Which has me wondering if there's more to the story.
"A six-person jury earlier this month sided with the state on nine misdemeanor charges. They were three counts each on charges of illegal use of water denied by a watermaster, unauthorized use of water and interfering with a lawfully established head gate or water box."
So I think this has more to do with tampering of the water box and head gate. But it still seems fishy, and why is my tax dollars going to crap like this?
I couldn't believe this.
"A rural Eagle Point man was sentenced to 30 days in jail Wednesday for filling what state water managers have called three illegal reservoirs on his property.
Gary Harrington was also fined more than $1,500 for nine misdemeanor convictions for filling his reservoirs with rain and snow runoff that the state says is owned by the Medford Water Commission. He was given two weeks to report to the Jackson County Jail to begin serving his sentence.
At the center of the case was a 1925 state law giving the water commission exclusive rights to all the water in Big Butte Creek, its tributaries and Big Butte Springs the core of the city's municipal water supply.
In court filings Harrington had argued that he's not diverting water from the creek system, merely capturing rainwater and snowmelt from his 172 acres along Crowfoot Road."
It rains quite a bit here in Oregon, and collecting rain water is fairly common.
The surprising part was this verdict was from a JURY! Which has me wondering if there's more to the story.
"A six-person jury earlier this month sided with the state on nine misdemeanor charges. They were three counts each on charges of illegal use of water denied by a watermaster, unauthorized use of water and interfering with a lawfully established head gate or water box."
So I think this has more to do with tampering of the water box and head gate. But it still seems fishy, and why is my tax dollars going to crap like this?
