A guy went to jail for collecting rainwater. What the hell…
Login to reply
Replies (17)
probably a fake news 😅
Headlines often claimed Harrington was jailed "for collecting rainwater," sparking outrage over property rights. However, the issue was large dams impounding public waterway flows without permits, not simple rain barrels.
As usual, short TikTok videas not telling whole story.
hahahaha what?!? they just claim that they own the fucking rain??
I saw this on the bird app and the community notes corrected saying that this is not true, you can collect your own water
If I remember I think it said the guy was building without permits
Worse than that...🤔
They claim they OWN you, and can COMPEL you to do or not do, whatever they make up and call a "law"...😠😡🤬🤮
Hello, Chad,
I'd like to respectfully, and with genuine appreciation, remind you of one of your own recent posts:
~~~~
You've said Harrington was "...impounding public waterway flows without permits..."
Digging a little deeper, I believe you may also be unintentionally misleading by mischaracterizing what actually happened...
I found a legal report commenting in greater detail on the events:
https://digitalcommons.du.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1800&context=wlr
According to the report, Harrington did this: "On his property, he used impoundments to capture diffuse surface waters, which are waters from rain or melting snows flowing over land and not part of a defined watercourse."
I recognize that "legalese" is NOT plain English; nevertheless, "diffuse surface waters" does not remotely sound to me to be "public waterway flows."🤔
My appreciation for your above post is that you've reminded me that I have a distinct tendency to rapidly leap to the defense of those I perceive to be victims of state tyranny. I truly appreciate your reminder to investigate the details before I run off at the mouth.🙏🏻😁💖👍
The only valid first reaction to something that makes you angry as soon as you see it should be a desire to verify that it is true. If you don't focus that initial fury into getting the context behind what gets your blood to boil and making sure that it's not hype, you're giving away your power and control to someone else.
If you confirm that it is verified information, with an understanding of the full context and background, then you can plan actions to make changes in a direction that you would prefer things go.
But please, don't just react blindly. It's a good way to slam face first into a wall.
View quoted note →
Insane
What the actual fuck is going on here? Unbelievable
What facts were removed to make this video work?
this makes me see red
Remember: A fee means legal for a price.
Hi Duncan, I appreciate the questions. What you have posted is a scholarly article providing background of Oregon's water rights framework. It provides historical background and context for the court's decision.
According to Tom Paul, Deputy Director of the Oregon Water Resources Department, one of Harrington's dams was 15 feet high, allowing him to hold back enough water to fill 20 Olympic-sized pools. He also constructed boat docks to run boats in his reservoir and stocked them with fish for recreational fishing.
The plastic water tanks used in most news reel footage were not what caused the issue.
I'm getting my information from the original news sources, like the article in OPB from July 26, 2012 and KCBY 11's article from July 28, 2012. These came out after his conviction on July 25th. I can provide original links if you need me to. :)
Hey Chad,
I appreciate your gracious response.
If not too much trouble, I think it would be helpful if the links were added to this thread for all visitors to access.
Ideally, it would be helpful for a full analysis of the situation to know precisely where Harrington's property is, and to examine topographic and hydrological maps of the property and its surroundings.
Thanks in advance for your input.🙏😀
opb
Rainwater Reservoirs Net Jail Time For Oregon Man
A Southern Oregon man is facing 30 days in jail and a hefty fine for building dams of up to 15 feet high to keep rainwater on his property and out ...
KCBY
Eagle Point man jailed for illegal water reservoirs
{p}An Eagle Point man was sentenced Wednesday to 30 days in prison for illegally creating three illegal reservoirs of water on his property{/p}
Yahoo Finance
Gary Harrington of Oregon Jailed for Illegal Rainwater Reservoirs on His Property
An Eagle Point, Ore., man has begun serving a 30-day jail sentence after he built three reservoirs on his property to collect rainwater -- an appar...
The Water Nexus Blog
Rainwater Collection Leads to Jail Sentence? How News Headlines Get it Wrong - The Water Nexus Blog
Let’s get this straight… rainwater collection will not get you arrested. Illegally impounding a tributary and damming millions of gallo...