A lawsuit filed in federal court says the White Earth water ordinance poses “an immediate threat to RDO Farms” and asks the court to find that the reservation cannot stop the company from irrigating.
RDO Farms sues White Earth officials over off-reservation water regulation dl-online.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from dl-online.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
In a lawsuit filed Friday, RD Offutt farms asked a federal judge to issue a judgment that the White Earth Nation does not have the authority to regulate potato farmers’ groundwater use. RDO is challenging a White Earth ordinance requiring growers to get a tribal irrigation permit.
While farmers on and near White Earth Nation believe state officials control irrigation permits, the band believes it retained the right to control water rights through treaties with the government.