Middletown >> Authorities eradicated nearly 25,000 marijuana plants from rural mountains last week, bringing up the total number of plants removed by Lake County law enforcement to 310,000.
The operations occurred in stages. On Sept. 22 the Lake County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) Narcotics Unit destroyed 7,569 mature marijuana plants from a clandestine marijuana cultivation site in the Butts Canyon area near the Napa County line. The location was discovered several days prior by a hunter who immediately contacted authorities, according to LCSO Lt. Steve Brooks.
During a reconnaissance flight in the area, detectives found a second large grow site a few miles from the originally reported garden. This site was much larger, and was currently in the process of being harvested, Brooks stated in a media release. Detectives located and eradicated a total of 16,971 mature marijuana plants from this plot.
Both operations consisted of complex drip irrigations systems which were being concealed within the native vegetation, Brooks said. Water was being diverted from nearby springs and stored in pits dug out as water reservoirs. Each operation contained a one-person camp, but had evidence of several subjects working to assist with the harvest.
A total of 24,540 marijuana plants were located and eradicated during this all-day operation.
Thus far in 2016, the LCSO Narcotics Unit has located and eradicated a total of 41,883 marijuana plants from several different locations within the Butts Canyon area, Brooks reported.
