The California Water Commission Wednesday put off a decision until November that could allow Water Resources to sue for access. Property owners who have not voluntarily agreed to provide access for water and soil testing are now being served legal papers. Those papers inform them of the department's plan to use eminent domain to gain that access.
150 landowners recently won a court battle against Water Resources. Now, the department is trying to use eminent domain to subvert the court order. The tests are needed before the state can continue with a peripheral canal.
18 farmers and ranchers are refusing to help the state conduct research that might lead to the family farm being turned into a canal or a flood plain.
The department says their data collection is 90% complete except for studies that might show them where the wetlands…or flood plain…would go.
