Washington Department Ecology Fines Spokane Farmer $100K For Unauthorized Irrigation

Robert H. Greiff, a Spokane County farmer, has been fined $100,000 by the Washington Department of Ecology for illegally irrigating 69 acres of his Wild Rose Prairie property without proper authorization, despite repeated warnings and a cease-and-desist order issued since 2019. Greiff continued to pump water from a spring tributary to Dragoon Creek, part of the Little Spokane River watershed, which has been closed to new water rights since 1976 due to limited water availability. The Department of Ecology has emphasized that Greiff's unauthorized water use is unfair to other legal water users and harms local streamflows, recreation, and native fisheries, especially amid Spokane's driest summer on record that forced nearly 160 water permit holders to cease irrigation early. Greiff, who has water rights for other sources dating back to 1949, disputes the allegations and refuses to pay the fines or stop irrigating, stating he will only cease if forced by court action. The Spokane County Water Conservancy Board initially approved but later withdrew support for additional water rights applications from Greiff due to incomplete paperwork and overlapping claims. Ecology has imposed unpaid penalties resulting in a property lien and given Greiff 30 days to pay the fines or appeal to the Pollution Control Hearings Board.