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When GASP wcils wara shut down, well owners went tt� several meetings and were told <br />by an �inaor from Northern Cotocado Wattr Canservation District that 2-3 good wells <br />s dist�cice ftorn the River could pump water into the r�ver to caver depletions. This in <br />canjuncrian with Z-3 wells vvithi� l OQ fe�t of the river could purnp water up into ponds <br />when in priority. This cautd take care of all the welts on Bijou k�iTl --essentielly aIl thc <br />w�lls ncxth of Wiggin's area. Orpha�n Wells of Wiggins ti�en buiit s 4'/x mile pipelia�, <br />wi#h a large producictg wclI at each eud of the pipeline. In 24�5 obj�etars t+old us ths eu$ <br />we11 aE th� top would nnt be able to be used without sevace restrictions. Alsa we were <br />tald in 20Q6 ouz well within I Od fe�t of thc river would raow no tongtr be immodiate and <br />we woutd be t+�quired to pay back a percentage of watsr pumped cven whtn in priority. <br />in Sanuary of 2004, wc were told a tcn year lease of settior w$ter would be considetad a <br />long tcrrn lease and would keep our walls nuuiing. OWW then proceeded to make deals <br />with sen�ioc water right nwners for 10 year leases to dry up their farms and let us return <br />thoir senior water to thc river, In 2046 objectozs told us a 10 yesr lesse would nv Ionger <br />bc considered a lang term lcase, only a SO year lease wou[d tae cansidered. OWW <br />purchased 11 shares of reservvir rights. 'Ihis vaould only covec' about 40% of one of the <br />43 irrigarion wells depletians. OWW also purchased land, •pen'naneai easements and <br />devclopod more augnnentation ponds, partnered with members an construction of othcr <br />panda, built two additional pipelines and anoth�r well within l OQ feet of the rivot �t a <br />cost of approxirnately �'7UU,04Q. Several vther members constructed ponds on their <br />farms at thoir owrt expe.nse <br />My dad always told me that if you warked haurd and played by the rules ihat you would be <br />sueee.ssfiil. As yon can see the OW�V members have worked very ha�cd at�d spent an <br />enormous amount of money putting together an aug plan, only to find ourselves in water <br />court several y�ars later asking for approval of our plab and having denial waiting there <br />for us. <br />As I have demonstraied, adversity thrawn at us by Mother Na€ure are risks that ail <br />farmers accegt and take in stride when they happen. <br />In la�e 200G and earty 200? OWW decided the only way to make ouc projcct work, would <br />be tv reduce deple#ion�. VVe decidec� to cut aur number of fa:ms coverecl by 50'/0. <br />Members that at that time could no lnnger afford to go on or decided not to put more af <br />their aperation in jeopardy, sald shares to other members aiong with tt�e loan liability. <br />'fhen again at3er 4 or 5 times crying to comply with farever chenging interpretat:`.on of <br />law, we thougtit we had a solid pian we could mako work sa (3WW amended our <br />application. T�t� judge's ruling in tvlereh af 2047, ruIed we wcren't liabte for depletions <br />af inembtr^s that droppai out. After spending many m4re dt�llars on 1��1 and <br />en�ineecr�n� fees for the next 19 mantb,s, ncgotiatiEng with oisje�tors wntii 1 month befara <br />aur triai cm 4cWber 1, 2008,1udge Kline drogp�ci the final hattuner an us by reversing <br />his t3ecisioa mskin$ us liabler for depletians for cnembers that drogpcd out. Tf ludgt Ktine <br />}�a�d j.ust madc this z�utit�g izY Iv[arch 240�, wo would noi have spent another $I4it,00i1 in <br />iegat and profcssional fces. T'�is is jr�st a small amount campa�d ta wttat else happened <br />