Klamath ranch seeks $1.5 million from Oregon water regulators
An Oregon ranch is seeking $1.5 million from the state government, claiming water regulators have effectively seized its irrigation water supply without paying just compensation. The Sprague River Cattle Co. in Klamath County has filed a lawsuit arguing that its water rights would normally be worth $1.5 million but the “value has been entirely destroyed” by flow restrictions that render them “no longer marketable.” According to the complaint against the State of Oregon, the ranch property was originally part of the Klamath Indian Reservation, which was established in 1864, setting the priority date for the water rights.