The operators of a Walnut farm in Butte County say flooding from the Oroville Dam emergency in February cost them $15 million due to damaged trees, equipment, and buildings.
The growers have filed a claim with the State of California.
Niall McCarthy is an attorney for Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, which is the firm representing the growers.
"If you sue the State of California, you must file a claim within six months," McCarthy says. "That period is going to expire in the next week to ten days. So, step one is you file a claim. The state has the ability to accept or reject that claim. The vast majority of times, the state rejects that claim and a lawsuit is filed."
The growers accuse the Department of Water Resources and the Division of Safety of Dams of acting recklessly by failing to correct known problems.
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