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Washington ranch family fighting massive fine from gov’t over stockwater ponds — why they’re warning others
Wade and Teresa King, who run a multigenerational cattle ranch in Washington, are challenging a $267,540 state fine over ponds they say provide water for livestock. The dispute matters beyond their ranch because they argue that requiring ranchers to contest penalties through an administrative process, without a jury, could affect property rights in other states.
The Department of Ecology says the Kings damaged regulated wetlands and has ordered restoration; the Kings say the areas were longstanding stockwater ponds and were never wetlands. A judge dismissed their separate lawsuit seeking a jury trial, saying they must first complete the administrative process, but an appeals commissioner paused that process in September while the appeal is considered. The Kings’ lawyers estimate compliance could cost more than $3.7 million and say they may petition the US Supreme Court if they lose.
In short
- Washington fined a ranching couple $267,540 over ponds they say water livestock.
- They dispute the wetlands designation and are seeking a jury trial.
- Their lawyers estimate restoration could cost more than $3.7 million.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The Kings’ strongest case is that longstanding ponds used to water livestock may not have been wetlands, and that a very large fine and costly restoration order require clear evidence and a fair chance to challenge the state’s classification. They also argue that routing the dispute through an administrative process without a jury may leave property owners with inadequate protection, with implications beyond their ranch.
The case against
The Department of Ecology’s strongest case is that wetlands are regulated to protect public resources, and that ranching use or the age of a pond does not by itself determine whether land is legally protected wetland. An administrative process can provide a way to assess the evidence and apply environmental rules consistently, while requiring restoration where damage is found.
Explained simply
Washington’s Department of Ecology regulates wetlands, which are areas where water and soil support wetland plants and wildlife. Wade and Teresa King run a cattle ranch and say the ponds at the centre of their dispute have long supplied water for livestock; the department says work there damaged protected wetlands and requires restoration.
The case involves how environmental rules apply to land and how people can challenge government penalties. The Kings argue that having to contest the fine through an administrative process, rather than before a jury, could have implications for property owners elsewhere.