The Washington State Department of Ecology penalised King Ranch for allegedly excavating and filling 6.37 acres across 34 naturally occurring wetland sites in 2021. Regulators rely on historical aerial imagery dating back to 1949 to show the centuries-old alkali habitats remained undisturbed until recently. The owners maintain the areas are longstanding stockwater ponds, and a superior court judge dismissed their constitutional demand for a jury trial in March 2026. Supported by the Pacific Legal Foundation, the ranchers have obtained a temporary stay from the Washington Court of Appeals while pursuing an appeal that could reach the federal high court.
Key points
The Washington State Department of Ecology enforces protections on rare alkali wetlands u…: The Washington State Department of Ecology enforces protections on rare alkali wetlands under the state's Water Pollution Control Act of 1945.
The property owners challenge the state's classification, claiming the targeted locations…: The property owners challenge the state's classification, claiming the targeted locations have long functioned as modified stockwater ponds.
The ongoing legal battle includes a constitutional push for a jury trial that could poten…: The ongoing legal battle includes a constitutional push for a jury trial that could potentially reach the United States Supreme Court.
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A Washington cattle-ranching couple has spent three years fighting a $267,540 state penalty and restoration orders they say could cost more than $3.7 million. Wade and Teresa King, who operate King Ranch in Grant and Douglas counties, argue that the sites are longstanding stockwater ponds for their livestock, while the Washington State Department of Ecology says they damaged naturally occurring wetlands, including rare alkali wetlands.
The dispute began in February 2023, when Ecology fined the Kings and ordered restoration work near Park Lake in Grant County. In January 2025, the agency issued a second order involving 11 additional wetlands in neighboring Douglas County, bringing the total number of affected sites to 34.
What Ecology says happened
Ecology’s investigation found that the Kings excavated, recontoured and placed fill in 6.37 acres of naturally occurring wetlands in Grant County. The department says it relied on site visits, soil and water analysis, satellite imagery and aerial photographs dating back to 1949.
According to Ecology, the aerial and satellite images showed the wetlands undisturbed until 2021, when the excavation occurred. The agency says many…
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