As many as 300 dead cows were found heaped in piles 10 feet high or laying in waterways at Raymond Christie’s Arcata Bottoms ranch during a multi-agency raid this week, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office confirmed today.

Sheriff’s office Livestock Deputy Travis Mendes described the case as unusual.

“The number of deceased cattle located is very significant,” Mendes said today.

Christie, 54, was arrested at his Jackson Ranch Road ranch on Monday on suspicion of animal cruelty, causing an animal to be cruelly killed, failure to provide proper care to an animal, and disposal of a carcass within 150 feet of a state waterway. Sheriff’s office public information specialist Samantha Karges said today that the investigation is ongoing.

“He could be facing additional charges,” Karges said.

Christie was booked in the county jail Monday and was released that day after posting a $25,000 bail, according to jail records.

Nine federal, state and local agencies descended on Christie’s ranch on Monday following a five-month investigation of “large-scale animal cruelty complaints,” the sheriff’s office states.

The sheriff’s office released more details today on what was found at the ranch:

• Piles of dead cows stacked as high as 10 feet near an excavator.

• Cow bones and remains located in or near waterways.

• A large number of cows — many of which were malnourished — in small or insufficient corrals.

• Five violations of dogs in unsanitary conditions.

• Eight violations of dogs without water.

• Five violations of inadequate space for dogs to move freely.

• Four violations of primarily housing a dog on wire flooring.

• 21 violations of disposal of a carcass within 150 feet of a state waterway.

The state put 179 cows from the ranch on hold for possible repossession depending on the findings of the investigation, according to the sheriff’s office.

Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District General Manager John Friedenbach said that all of its drinking water pumps are located several miles northeast at Essex and would not be affected by any contamination of water at the Christie Ranch. The district provides drinking water to about two-thirds of county residents.

Arcata Environmental Services Director Mark Andre said that the city’s drinking water well is located about seven miles away from the Christie ranch and would not be affected either.

Senior environmental scientist Katharine Carter of the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board said that the biggest issue posed by livestock decomposing in or near waters is bacterial and viral contamination of the surrounding area and waters. She said decomposition can also decrease oxygen levels in the water.

Carter said they have asked to be informed of any updates to the investigation and will later determine whether any water quality violations occurred.

Humboldt County Agricultural Commissioner Jeff Dolf said that the county has not had a local facility or local service to dispose of deceased livestock and other large animals since 2003 when the Eureka Protein Co. facility at the south end of Eureka closed. The burden of dealing with dead livestock now falls on the owner.

North State Rendering Co, Inc. of Oroville had been the only alternative left for local ranchers, slaughter houses and butchers to dispose of animal carcasses and byproducts. However, the company ceased its operations in the county in November 2015, citing high costs.

Dolf said that deceased livestock is inherent to animal agriculture.

“They get sick and they may not respond to treatment. There is mortality associated with animal agriculture,” Dolf said. “Having said that, the people that have these animals and care for them, they really care about their animals. It’s an investment for them. The majority of people that are responsible agricultural producers take care of those animals.”

Other than hiring another disposal company out of Sacramento — which Dolf said would be cost prohibitive to most producers — the only other option is to follow guidelines by the county and UC Cooperative Extension on how people can safely dispose of dead livestock.

“Certainly if it’s a cow or horse, it’s not possible to double-bag it and put it in the trash,” Dolf said.

These guidelines include burying the animals certain distances from water sources, high-water marks, groundwater levels and other areas.

Will Houston can be reached at 707-441-0504.