Oregon Farmers Sue Irrigation District Over Water Cutoff

October 5, 2016

Malheur County farmers are suing their local irrigation district in Oregon, claiming it failed to deliver water when needed in 2014 and 2015.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports that Delos and Barbara Lee, who farm alfalfa and hay, filed a lawsuit against the Owyhee Irrigation District in Malheur County Circuit Court.

According to the lawsuit, the couple says they were entitled to 152 acre-feet of water for their 95-acre farm during 2015 and 143 acre-feet in 2014, but that they received no water during some months due to miscalculations by the water district.

The couple says they lost $200,000 worth of alfalfa as a result of the water cutoff.