Washington ranch family fights $267,540 state fine over stockwater ponds
The Kings say the case could set a national precedent on whether landowners are entitled to a jury trial.
Wade and Teresa King, owners of King Ranch in Grant and Douglas counties, Washington, were fined $267,540 in 2023 by the state Department of Ecology. The state said they damaged regulated wetlands by digging ponds for livestock water. The Kings say the ponds are longstanding stockwater ponds and not regulated wetlands.
The Kings were directed to an administrative board that does not hold jury trials. A judge dismissed their separate lawsuit, saying they first had to complete the administrative process. The Kings appealed, and a state appeals court commissioner paused the board's proceedings in September while the court considers whether they are entitled to a jury trial.
The family's attorney at Pacific Legal Foundation said they are prepared to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court if they lose in Washington. The attorney argued a ruling could affect ranchers and property owners across the country.
Key points
- State fined the Kings $267,540 in 2023 over ponds they dug for livestock.
- An appeals court paused the administrative proceedings in September.
- The family may take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.
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