Tuesday, March 4, 2014

CBS Sacramento: "Illegal Pot Grows Adding To California’s Water Woes"

"Mendocino County Sheriff Tom Allman has a new mission: catching illegal marijuana growers for stealing water."

“We’re now becoming the water police,” Allman said.

He estimates thieves will use up to five million gallons of water a day in the fall — and that’s water Mendocino County simply doesn’t have.

“People will just be taking water out of the shared, you know, out of a creek or other water source so it’s having a really negative impact on our forest lands, on our streams,” said Willits Mayor Holly Madrigal.

In Calaveras County more than four hours away, one rancher told CB13 that he’s got pot growers with cartel ties living on his property – stealing water. He’s discovered a half-dozen grows on his vast land by looking for the signs.

“Yup there’s a scale in here.”

11 comments:

YoungHegelian said...

Drug cartel criminals who have no problem with brutally murdering people have no problem with being shitty stewards of the environment.

Who woudda thunk it?

Dust Bunny Queen said...

This is a really big problem where I live.

The growers dam up and divert the small streams in the forests that would normally create habitat and water open meadows which would then further trickle down to larger streams and into ponds or small seasonal lakes.

In addition to ruining the environment by diverting the water, they leave huge steaming piles of shit. Literally. Shit. As well as other garbage. Piles and piles of it.

Hiking or any use of the forest.....you are taking your life into your hands from booby traps or just plain being murdered because you wandered too near. We never go out into the woods or for a daytime road trip, without being fully armed.

The Dude said...

Liberalism is a mental defect.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Unintended consequences. Haha.

bagoh20 said...

If you could grow your own in your garden or on your back porch, this wouldn't be an industry worth exploiting resources over.

chickelit said...

Hiking or any use of the forest.....you are taking your life into your hands from booby traps or just plain being murdered because you wandered too near. We never go out into the woods or for a daytime road trip, without being fully armed.

White Punks On Dope.

Amartel said...

"If you could grow your own in your garden or on your back porch, this wouldn't be an industry worth exploiting resources over."

Well, you can but you're limited to 6 plants (in most of California; more in some places, less in others). I think it's more if you have a "collective" (of course, doesn't everyone?)
You get about a pound per plant. There's a limit because if you get too self-sufficient, your thoughts might turn entrepreneurial (booooo), and it would be difficult for the government to track and tax it.

bagoh20 said...

I wish I liked pot. I would love to grow my own drugs. I'd like a Vicodan tree, and a Viagra bush.

That would make a great first woman President: "Viagra Bush - Always ready for the that 3am call".

edutcher said...

"Surprahs, surprahs", as someone used to say.

And The Blonde would like to grow her own Vioxx.

I'm Full of Soup said...

When Prohibition ended, they didn't let every Tom, Dick and Harry build a still and sell booze did they? So why allow that for pot?

And yes 60, I agree, far left libs are severely mentally ill!

Dust Bunny Queen said...

So why allow that for pot?

Because pot/marijuana is a naturally growing plant that doesn't require (in its natural state) anything more than sun, water and possibly some chicken manure. It grows as hemp, in the ditches and roadsides of many places in the Midwest. It is weed....literally....weed. It would be like trying to stop dandelions from growing.

I think we have bigger issues than whether someone decides to grow a few plants alongside of their tomatoes and cucumbers.

The illegal aspect of it only channels the illegal, gang banger, drug lord, criminal types to go underground, rape the environment and kill innocent people.

Follow the money.