California regulators on Monday proposed a record $1.5 million fine against a Northern California irrigation district accused of illegally diverting more than 670 million gallons of water during the drought.
The State Water Resources Control Board said the Byron-Bethany Irrigation District in Tracy illegally took water from a pumping plant even after it was warned there wasn't enough water legally available, according to Fox News.
Andrew Tauriainen, a water board prosecutor, said the district was outspoken over continuing to illegally take water and the fine should show others such brazenness will draw the attention of investigators.
The move by the board was the first against an individual or district who insist that their water rights from 1914 and before are beyond government reach.
This fine reflects the severity of California's four-year drought which has forced to state to demand cutbacks from those who were once protected from mandatory conservation, according to the Los Angeles Times.
"This is a serious fine that will capture the attention of agricultural water users in the entire state of California," said Mark Gold, associate vice chancellor of environment and sustainability at UCLA. "The response from the agricultural community is going to be almost as important as the enforcement action."
District general manager Rick Gilmore said he did not know a penalty was coming and wasn't aware of the details, according to the Associated Press.
"Perhaps the state water resources control board is not taking into account we purchased supplemental supplies," he said.
The district has filed suit in state Superior Court in Concord asking a judge to overturn the order, saying the state board has no jurisdiction over its senior water rights.
Courts have not yet settled the question of whether the board has authority to demand cutbacks from farmers, cities and individuals with California's oldest claims to water.
