Man jailed for 30 days after building reservoirs on HIS OWN LAND with enough water to fill 20 Olympic-sized pools
- Gary Harrington, 64, was found guilty for building three man-made ponds containing nearly 13million gallons of water
- The Eagle Point, Oregon, man was convicted of nine misdemeanors and fined $1,500
- Harrington built the reservoirs on his 170-acre land and stocked them with fish
- A 1925 Oregon law says all water is publicly owned
- The state initially approved permits for the ponds, but later reversed them
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Gary Harrington, of Oregon, began serving a 30-day sentence last Wednesday for collecting rainwater and snow runoff in three reservoirs that he had built on his own property.
The Eagle Point man was found guilty two weeks ago for violating a 1925 law which says all water is publicly owned.
Harrington, 64, was convicted of nine misdemeanors and received a $1,500 fine in addition to the jail term.
Watershed moment: Gary Harrington, 64, was sentenced to 30 days in jail for building three rain collection ponds on his land in violation of a state law
Harrington surrendered himself to authorities to begin his prison term and said that he was sacrificing himself to stand up for liberty, according to AOL Real Estate.
‘When it comes to the point where a rural landowner can't catch rainwater that falls on his land to protect his property, it's gone too far,’ he told the Associated Press following his conviction.
Filled up: Over the years, the reservoirs have collected nearly 13 million gallons of water
Water world: Harrington erected two dams on his property measuring at 10 and 20 feet
Gone fishing: Harrington built boat docks and stocked his ponds with trout and Bluegil
Oregon's Water Resources Department said that while it is legal to set up rainwater collection barrels on roofs or other surfaces, Harrington's reservoirs went far beyond that and required permits.
‘Mr Harrington has operated these three reservoirs in flagrant violation of Oregon law for more than a decade,’ the department's deputy director, Tom Paul, told the Medford Mail Tribune.
The state initially approved permits for Harrington's water collection pools on his 170-acre property in 2003, but ultimately reversed its decision.
‘They issued me my permits. I had my permits in hand and they retracted them just arbitrarily, basically,’ Harrington told CNSNews.com. ‘They took them back and said, 'No, you can't have them.' So I've been fighting it ever since.’
'Don't tread on me': Harrington said the government has bullied him and trampled on his individual rights as a property owner using the 1925 state law as an excuse
Tug-'o-war: The state has ordered the Eagle Point man to drain his ponds, but he vows to continue the fight
Water battle: Harrington has claimed that he has been collecting rainwater for his personal use and for fire suppression
Harrington has been ordered to drain his three reservoirs, but the Eagle Point resident remains defiant and ready to continue the fight. He said that he is only collecting rainwater for personal use and fire suppression, and that the state is infringing upon his rights.
‘The government is bullying,' he told CNSNews.com. ‘They've just gotten to be big bullies and if you just lay over and die and give up, that just makes them bigger bullies.
‘So, we as Americans, we need to stand on our constitutional rights, on our rights as citizens and hang tough. This is a good country, we’ll prevail.’
His legal adviser said they are willing to fight the issue all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court according to KDRV.
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8 comments:
Does anyone believe the local farmers will finally be able to use more water now?
Or that the mafia/government will charge them any less for stolen water??
That fresh water will just be flushed into the Pacific, and his fish and garden will die...
How sad..
1. US Citizen so he agreed too b partt of a system where he has to seek permission to do certain things.
2. He's still part of that system so he might as well abide by the rules and restrictions he has agreed to.
No news here, he made his bed, he sleeps in it.
If he wanted more freedom he would not enslave himself by his choice to be affiliated with the system.
Anyone arguing those points (of FACT and TRUTH)...do not have a clue. And it makes no sense to argue with disinfo agents or fools.
NO One put a gun to his head and told him to be a US Citizen.
Re: 11:46 P.M.
Your right about the citizen thing. But guns ARE involved in the process. You don't need a gun to be pointed at your head. You know the real possibility exist. What people don't understand is when you apply for and sign a permit you give up your rights. You exchange your rights for a privilege by contract. So the corp. you contract with has the right and force to revoke that privilege. All the fools that have a permit to carry no longer have access to the second Amendment. They have through contract forfeited the right to keep and bare arms. Also when you register your weapons. It's so sick it hurts My head when I think about it. RESIST!!!!!!!! ONE ON ONE!!!!!!!!!
Hi Anonymous 7:02AM
I was trying to say no one put a gun to his head and made him register to be part of the system that is oppressing him.
I was trying to say he chose to be part of the system and it was not by force that he made THAT decision.
If I typed all that out, I'd be pretty wordy, but I appreciate you replying and helping to clarify this.
UNITED STATES Citizen by contract... are Americans provided disclosure, one of the 3 elements of a contract, in this contract? That we are beginning to comprehend the depth of the fraud and depravity of what government has become has only begun to happen in the last 20 years, mostly due to the internet. Most are UNITED STATES Citizens by fraud!
This man purchased his permits from the government in good faith.
He then proceeded to undertake a huge project to improve HIS property, the local habitat, and community.
No one was hurt.
Everyone gained either directly or indirectly.
By rights he should sue the government regarding the contract he made with them for breach of faith, costs and damages.
All the government is accomplishing here is the destruction of our environment and the bullying and robbing of an old man.
Not the government any of US agreed to be part of.
The deal is OFF!!
This is in-your-face TYRANNY.
ALL BETS ARE OFF.
Apologists for this sort of treachery are just like 'Agents of the Crown' (Torys) we Americans sent back to England with their tails between their legs (or hung from lamp-posts) some 236 years ago.
Just sayin..
Re: 11:01 A.M
Yes we know about contract law and fraud. But the cops, judges,lawyers and mercs. (soldiers) don't care about constitution or American Jurisprudence.They defend with extreme prejudice their source of income. There in lies the rub.You have criminals paying criminals to enforce the will of a cabal of evil. Hell they don't even pay attention to the U.C.C. unless it benefits them. I had to learn that the hard way. I did every thing right, they just threw it all out and sent brain dead assholes with guns to take everything of value from Me and My family. The only way is to RESIST!!!!!!! I was dubbel crossed that's why I'm still here.
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