Property owners hit with severe penalties for crimes along riverbank: 'Threatening human health'

A pair of property owners in Washington are now on the hook for a $204,000 fine after being caught "building unauthorized structures in protected areas" along the Deschutes River.

In a news release, the Washington Department of Ecology reported that Chuck and Austin Rogers, two property owners in Thurston County, took part in "unpermitted shoreline development" after building a series of structures within 200 feet of the Deschutes River's ordinary high water mark.

According to the department, the property owners used the protected and environmentally sensitive area to "support a recreational vehicle park and commercial hauling business where they store large volumes of construction debris next to the river."

In addition to the construction of unauthorized buildings, the property owners were caught illegally placing fill in the Deschutes River as well as clearing land near the river's banks.

Authorities at the Washington Department of Ecology and Thurston County previously spoke to the Rogers regarding the laws and environmental regulations put in place in the area. Despite this, the property owners continued to develop buildings on the shoreline.

The Washington Department of Ecology stated the shoreline used by the Rogers was "designated to be in a 'conservancy environment.'"

In 2021, the Deschutes Basin Habitat Conservation Plan was finalized and implemented by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The initiative aims to protect and improve fish and wildlife habitats and ensure water quality throughout the river.

Bobbak Talebi, the Southwest Region Director at the Washington State Department of Ecology, explained the significance of the Rogers' actions following the department's initial warnings.

"They demonstrated they are unwilling to follow through with local and state regulators to restore the damage they have caused," Talebi said. "Instead, they chose to expand their unpermitted development activities, knowing full well they are threatening human health and the environment."

Talebi also noted that the Rogers had "harmed aquatic habitat, increased the threats of streambank erosion and floods in the area, and degraded local water quality."