man goes to jail for 30 days for collecting rain water in his pond

A Jackson County man has been sentenced for illegal water diversion and ordered to breach dams

The Oregonian ( http://is.gd/4cgQcP) reports Gary Harrington had a 10-year history of illegally divert water with homemade dams. He has also been sentenced to 30 days in jail and fined $1,500.

State Water Resources Department officials say Harrington has three dams across channels that cross his property outside of Medford and feed into Big Butte Creek. The creek is a tributary of the Rogue River.

Two of the dams stand about 10 feet high and the third is about 20 feet tall. Harrington stocked the reservoirs that formed behind the dams with trout and bluegill, built boat docks and used the ponds for fishing.

It is illegal to divert and store waters of the state without a permit.

State officials estimated 40 acre-feet of water collected behind the dams, enough to fill nearly 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Officials are uncertain whether Harrington built the dams himself, ordered their construction, or if they were on the property when he bought it. At any rate, it is illegal to divert and store waters of the state without a permit.

later12 wrote: »

http://tdn.com/news/state-and-region...241cb1c2b.html
State Water Resources Department officials say Harrington has three dams across channels that cross his property outside of Medford and feed into Big Butte Creek. The creek is a tributary of the Rogue River.