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Local resident says cannabis operation siphoned water; county staff reviewing complaint
Summary
Lake County resident Randy Pledger told the Planning Commission he litigated and prevailed in a multi‑year case alleging a nearby cannabis operation used a permit for domestic water to extract water for commercial use. County staff said they are already looking into the matter.
Randy Pledger, a Lake County resident, told the Lake County Planning Commission he has an ongoing dispute with a nearby cannabis operation over water extraction and asked the county to investigate.
“I am parked next to a cannabis, operation,” Pledger said during the public input period, identifying the site as 194303 Butts Canyon Road and saying the operator initially obtained a drilling permit listed for domestic use but later converted to a commercial pump system. Pledger said he filed a lawsuit about the issue that took roughly four and a half years to resolve and that he prevailed. “My information has been verified through your own court system,” he said.
Pledger told commissioners the situation cost him about $300 a month in water for five years and that he defended himself in court because he could not afford an attorney. “The judge agreed with me,” he said.
When a commissioner asked whether the county was doing anything about the matter, staff replied that the matter is already under staff review. The commission did not take separate formal action on Pledger’s comments during the meeting.
