T R I N I T Y R I V E R : W A T E R D I S T R I C T S S U E F E D S T O S T O P R E L E A S E S Page A6 Cap i t a l P r e s s T h e W e s t s W e e k l y FR IDA Y , AUGUST 2 8 , 2 0 1 5 VO LUME 8 8 , NUMBER 3 5 WWW .CAP IT A LPRESS .COM $ 2 . 0 0 DOL th r ea t fo r c e s g row e r to pay $16K fi n e B a s i c a l l y , t h e y h a d m e o v e r a b a r r e l ow n e r s a i d a f t e r D O L s t o p p e d h i s p a c k i n g B y DAN WHEA T C a p i t a l P r e s s MESA , W a sh . — An app l e g row e r s ay s h e f e e l s un f a i r ly t r e a t ed by th e U .S . D ep a r tm en t o f L abo r th a t fi n ed h im $16 ,000 a f t e r fi nd ing ch i ld r en in h i s o r ch a rd . B a s i c a l ly , th ey h ad m e ov e r a b a r r e l , s a id B r e t G l edh i l l , own e r o f G l edh i l l F a rm s , a sm a l l o r ch a rd n e a r M e s a . Ran ch e r s h i t ha rd by fi r e s ca rnag e O k a n o g a n i s l a r g e s t w i l d fi r e i n h i s t o r y o f W a s h i n g t o n s t a t e B y DAN WHEA T C a p i t a l P r e s s OKANOGAN , W a sh . — Num e rou s r an ch e r s h av e lo s t th e i r sp r ing and f a l l p a s tu r e s , s t a t e and f ed e r a l g r a z ing a l lo t - m en t s , h ay s t a ck s , t imb e r and c a t t l e in th e m a s s iv e Ok an - og an Comp l ex fi r e th a t h a s bu rn ed mo r e th an a qu a r t e r o f a m i l l ion a c r e s in no r th - c en - t r a l W a sh ing ton s t a t e . W i th on ly a sm a l l a r e a a s - s e s s ed , 25 r e s id en c e s , 15 mo - b i l e hom e s and 48 ou tbu i ld - ing s a r e confi rm ed bu rn ed , s a id J im D eT ro , an Ok anog an Coun ty comm i s s ion e r and hobby r an ch e r no r th o f R iv - e r s id e . Wh a t b eg an w i th mu l t ip l e l igh tn ing s t r ik e s on Aug . 15 g r ew to th r e a t en town s and bu rn mo r e th an 280 ,000 a c r e s a s o f Aug . 26 . Th a t s an in - c r e a s e o f mo r e th an 20 ,000 a c r e s f rom th e p r ev iou s d ay . I t h a s su rp a s s ed l a s t y e a r s C a r l - ton Comp l ex fi r e a s th e l a rg - e s t in s t a t e h i s to ry . I t i s mo s t ly no r th e a s t o f wh e r e th e C a r l ton fi r e bu rn ed l a s t summ e r . I m bu rn ed ou t . I h av e no h ay , no p a s tu r e , no t imb e r and no p l a c e fo r my cow s to go , s a id G e r a ld S cho l z , a r an ch e r in P in e C r e ek w e s t o f H igh - w ay 97 b e tw e en R iv e r s id e and T on a sk e t . I t s p rop e r ty h i s g r e a t -g r and f a th e r hom e s t e ad - ed in 1888 . Th e t imb e r w a s my b ank a c coun t . I t s gon e now . Th e DNR l i t i t on fi r e , S cho l z s a id . H e b l am ed b a ck bu rn ing DOL wou ldn t l e t h i s app l e s b e p a ck ed and so ld un t i l h e p a id th e fi n e , wh i ch h e d id Aug . 21 , G l edh i l l s a id . G l edh i l l s a id h e w a s lo ad ing app l e b in s in h i s lo ad ing y a rd th e mo rn ing o f Aug . 18 wh en a c a r w i th two wom - en in i t s topp ed and a sk ed d i r e c t ion s to a n e a rby A l l an B ro th e r s o r ch a rd . H e to ld th em i t w a s a coup l e m i l e s down th e ro ad . A f ew m inu t e s l a t e r , th ey r e tu rn ed , id en t ifi ed th em s e lv e s a s DOL inv e s t ig a to r s and to ld h im W o r k e r s p i c k a p p l e s a t a W a s h i n g t o n s t a t e f a rm i n t h i s fi l e p h o t o . A Y a k im a V a l l e y g r ow e r w a s f o r c e d t o p a y a $ 1 6 , 0 0 0 fi n e a f t e r U .S . D e p a r t - m e n t o f L a b o r i n v e s t i g a t o r s a l l e g e d l y s aw c h i l d r e n w o r k i n g n h i s o r c h a r d . A s s o c i a t e d P r e s s fi l e i two ch i ld r en w e r e wo rk ing in h i s o r - ch a rd , h e s a id . Th e p a r en t s s a id th ey w e r en t p i ck ing , bu t a l l i t take s i s a ch i ld p lac ing one app le in to a b in . DOL de s igna te s tha t a s ch i ld labo r , G ledh i l l sa id . So th ey s e i z ed my c rop and wou ldn t l e t my app l e s b e run (p a ck ed ) . Tu rn to F INE , Pag e 12 O S U p r o j e c t p r o d u c e s c r o p s w i t h o u t i r r i g a t i o n GROW ING DRY E r i c M o r t e n s o n /C a p i t a l P r e s s A d r y - f a rm e d w a t e rm e l o n v a r i e t y c a l l e d L i t t l e B a b y F l ow e r w o n a t a s t e t e s t o v e r i r r i g a t e d m e l o n s d u r i n g a fi e l d d a y a t O r e g o n S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y i n e a r l y A u g u s t . A s d r o u g h t c o n t i n u e s d r y f a rm i n g m a y b e a n o p t i o n f o r s om e p r o d u c e r s B y ER IC MORTENSON C a p i t a l P r e s s C S e e F i r e , PAGE A12 ORVALL IS , O r e . — Th e squ a sh p l an t s l e av e s a r e w i l t ed and c r ink l ed in th e m id -d ay h e a t , and look l ik e th ey d e sp e r a t e ly n e ed w a t e r . Bu t un l e s s i t r a in s , th ey won t g e t any . In f a c t , th ey v e n ev e r b e en i r r ig a t ed s in c e th ey w e r e p l an t ed th i s sp r ing . N e i th e r h av e th e zu c ch in i , d ry b e an s , po t a to e s , m e l - on s and tom a to e s g row ing a long s id e th em . Th e v eg e t ab l e s a r e p a r t o f a d ry f a rm ing d emon s t r a t ion p ro j - e c t a t O r egon S t a t e Un iv e r s i ty s O ak C r e ek C en t e r fo r U rb an Ho r t i cu l tu r e . In th r e e 10 - foo t -by -100 - foo t p lo t s , OSU Ex t en s ion in s t ru c to r Amy G a r r e t t i s ex am in ing th e po s s ib i l i t i e s o f g row ing food c rop s w i thou t i r r ig a t ion . I t s a top i c und e r s e r iou s r ev i ew a s d rough t g r ip s th e W e s t . H o l d t h e w a t e r E r i c M o r t e n s o n /C a p i t a l P r e s s Am y G a r r e t t , a n i n s t r u c t o r w i t h OSU E x t e n s i o n s Sm a l l F a rm s p r o g r am , s h ow s v e g e t a b l e s g r ow n w i t h o u t i r r i g a t i o n t h i s s umm e r i n C o r v a l l i s , O r e . D r y f a rm i n g m a y b e a n o p t i o n f o r s om e g r ow e r s i f d r o u g h t p e r s i s t s i n t h e W e s t . I r r ig a to r s th roughou t th e P a c ifi c No r thw e s t and C a l i fo rn i a h av e b e en r e s t r i c t ed o r shu t o f f en t i r e ly th i s summ e r , th e moun - t a in snowp a ck th a t f e ed s s t r e am s in l a t e s e a son h a s a l r e ady m e l t - ed and m any s to r ag e r e s e rvo i r s a r e a t a l a rm ing ly low l ev e l s . 0000000 -ROP -P1965 -Ca s cadeFa rm IZ - Page 1 - Compo s i te Tu rn to DRY , Pag e 12