McKinley v. Owyhee Project North Board of Control

This action arose as a result of damage caused by flooding of the Owyhee River in the spring of 1984. During the preceding winter, the Owyhee Basin received unprecedented snowfall that, coupled with unseasonably warm weather, resulted in an exceptionally heavy spring runoff. The heavy runoff and the physical limitations of the Owyhee Dam combined to force the discharge of substantial amounts of impounded water into the river, flooding plaintiffs’ farmlands located downstream. Plaintiffs sought compensation for damages to their real property and associated economic losses, plus damages for…