Advertisement Pot growers are stealing water from farmers, CA soldier says West Sac farmer: Safety of drinking water impacted Share Shares Copy Link Copy

The California National Guard told KCRA 3 on Tuesday that operators of illegal marijuana grows are siphoning farmers' water supply and jeopardizing the safety of the state's water supply during the drought.Watch report: Pot growers are stealing water from farmers, CA soldier says"They are stealing the water, taking it from farmers," said Kara Siepmann, a spokeswoman for the California National Guard.Siepmann said the state's National Guard teamed up with the Department of Justice Tuesday to remove the irrigation tubing, trash and pesticides left behind after law enforcement moved in to arrest suspects and confiscate thousands of marijuana plants hidden on Sacramento-area farm land."Grows hidden in trees on someone else's farm have become more and more common over the past two years," said an undercover drug agent who asked not to be identified.This particular illegal grow operation wasn't far from a nearby freeway close to rows of grape vines, officials said.At these grow sites, Siepmann said the growers divert a farmer's water canals with a series of pumps, man-made dams and irrigation tubing."In the past two years we have removed 84 man-made dams and 89 miles of irrigation tubing at illegal marijuana sites," said Siepmann.Dave Vierra is a West Sacramento grower who said he has found similar illegal grows on his property."They can do a lot of environmental damage," said Vierra.Vierra and Siepmann said the marijuana growers are using powerful pesticides right next to open waterways with no regard for proper application."That run-off with the pesticides goes right into our waterways," said Siepmann.Siepmann said those pesticides can pose a risk to drinking water supplies downstream of the impacted farms or in nearby wells."Absolutely you should be testing your water if you're on a well," said Vierra.The California National Guard is hopeful that teaming up with the DOJ to clean up these sites after drug agents have removed the suspects and the plants will reverse some of the environmental damage."UC Davis researchers have found that fish are dying in the Delta because of the pesticides directly attributed to these marijuana grow sites," said Siepmann.