Editor’s note: With
the likelihood of a severe drought impacting irrigators this
summer, the Herald and News wanted to learn how illegal
marijuana grows may factor into the water shortage.
Such illicit operations are notorious for drawing large
amounts of water and diverting flows from streams to
irrigate their unlicensed crops.
When H&N spoke to local law enforcement and water
authorities, we learned the impact illegal grows may have on
the aquifer is largely unknown. However a better
understanding may come forward this summer as the drought
takes effect and deputies step up their enforcement efforts.
Illegal marijuana grows have been
well-documented in Northern California where agencies such
as the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office have made marijuana
enforcement a top priority. Though recreational marijuana
became legal in California last year, such businesses are
banned in Siskiyou County; the sheriff’s office has since
busted a prolific number of illegal grows.
According to figures published last
year, roughly $375 million worth of processed and raw
cannabis was seized in Siskiyou County in 2017. Authorities
served more than 175 warrants throughout the county with
operations ranging from unauthorized backyard medial grows
to facilities connected to organized crime.
While crafting legislation to regulate
medical marijuana in 2015, California legislators said the
estimated 50,000 illegal grows in the state were having a
significant impact on water availability. Senator Mike
McGuire, D-Healdsburg, said illegal grows were “literally
sucking rivers dry” in a Scientific American interview and
connected grows to dying fish populations.
McGuire’s proposed legislation was
successful and required marijuana growers to preserve
natural resources including in-steam flows and water
quality.
Local numbers unknown
However, the potential impact of
marijuana grows on Klamath County is not easy to estimate
because police are not entirely sure how many there are.
During 2017, the Klamath County
Sheriff’s Office began a survey of grows throughout the
county, both legal and illicit, with a plan to begin a
larger crackdown this summer. Sheriff Chris Kaber said
deputies likely only scratched the surface and, of the 62
grows documented last year, there were probably many more.
When asked how illegal grows may
affect water availability, Kaber said he is sure they are
having an impact but could not say to what degree.
“It sounds reasonable to me there is
some negative effect,” said Kaber. “It is just not
calculable.”
How they do it
Kaber said growers arrested last year
were illegally accessing water in multiple ways. Some were
diverting directly from A Canal, some were stealing from
neighboring irrigators, some would fill portable tanks from
rivers, while others would purchase water illegally sold
from community wells.
“I’ve found where people have run up
to one-half mile of plastic water line from springs and used
siphon and gravity to irrigate, even using battery-operated
timers to so they don’t have to be with their plants every
day,” said Kaber. “…We’ve seen fences cut, locks on pumps
cut off, you name it.”
Kaber said water thefts should be
reported to authorities —and many are — but when it is
difficult to determine who the victim of the theft is his
office is unable to proceed.
“The Klamath County Sheriff’s Office
usually hears about water theft after the fact and without
an identifiable victim, so the information usually dies
there and we don’t pull a case number without an
identifiable victim,” said Kaber.
The water users
Aside from law enforcement, local
water authorities are also unaware of the impact of illegal
grows and are not positive how to proceed.
Scott White, executive director for
Klamath Water Users Association, said because marijuana
remains illegal on the federal level, marijuana growers
already cannot use water regulated by a federal agency like
the Bureau of Reclamation. In light of this this, tracking
the impact of illegal grows has not been a priority for the
association and they currently have no information regarding
their impact.
“Its something that we really haven’t
been keeping close tabs on,” said White.
When asked how he believes illegal
grows could impact water users, White said he could not say
without seeing related data. He said the Oregon Water
Resource Department (OWRD) may be in a better position to
offer information.
Dani Watson, Klamath County
watermaster and local representative for OWRD, said she was
unable to comment on marijuana-related issues. She did say
her office is more optimistic about water conditions this
summer after recent snowfall, but much more precipitation
would be needed to avoid a drought.
“I think everybody’s hoping for more
snow and hopefully we’ll get it,” said Watson.
What’s being done
Watson said she has been speaking
regularly with irrigators about their concerns for the
coming summer, primarily whether or not officials are
prepared to mitigate the impact of the drought.
She said Klamath County commissioners’
decision to declare a drought emergency Feb. 20 was the
first important step in making resources available. The
state and federal governments must similarly declare a
drought for irrigator protections to take effect and have
yet to do so.
“It really kind of depends on if and
when that occurs,” said Watson.
