MADERA - Madera County District Attorney David A. Linn announced today that his Madera County District Attorney Agricultural Crimes and Water Task Force has been profiled and featured in the September issue of Progressive Farmer Magazine.  The article contained in the magazine, entitled Liquid Gold, discussed in depth, pending criminal charges against Agriland Framing Company Incorporated, for misappropriation of water in March of 2016. 

The current criminal complaint contends that Agriland committed a felony violation of California Penal Code Section 592(a), in that Agriland took water from a canal and or ditch belonging to the Madera Irrigation District without authorization.  The case is currently pending in Madera Superior Court.

D.A. Linn stated that the Liquid Gold article gave a general description of the People vs. Agriland case, however, it misstated the amount of water misappropriated.  Although the article states that 15,000 gallons had been taken, the actual amount of water that was diverted, was 15,152,187 gallons (46.5 Acre Feet). 

As D.A. Linn said in the Liquid Gold article, “Water is the gold of this century.  In the San Joaquin Valley, you can’t develop, bring in new industry or open fallow fields without it.  I will protect the people’s water.”