Archived Cases

The following are examples of cases that have been resolved by River Watch. In addition to providing templates for other citizen groups these cases educate the public and provide examples of the type of cases River Watch pursues.

Clean Water Act

Community Opposition to County of Sonoma’s Plan to Fluoridate Waters
Date Filed: April 12, 2013
PDF: CWA Notice | Community Letter

California River Watch vs. City of San Luis Obispo
Date Filed: October 8, 2015
PDF: CWA Notice

River Watch vs. Desert Regional Medical Center/Tenet Healthcare
Date Filed: December 17, 2015
PDF: CWA Notice

California River Watch vs. City of Fortuna
Date Filed: February 3, 2016
PDF: CWA Notice

California River Watch vs. Lake Arrowhead Community Services District
Date Filed: November 4, 2015
PDF: CWA Notice

River Watch vs. City of Beverly Hills
Date Filed: August 5, 2015
PDF: CWA Notice

River Watch vs. City of Monterrey
Date Filed: August 13, 2015
PDF: CWA Notice

River Watch vs. City of Whittier
Date Filed: June 8, 2015
PDFs: CWA Notice | Settlement Agreement

River Watch vs. City of Ft. Bragg and County of Mendocino
(Caspar Transfer Station)
Date Filed: March 24, 2015
PDFs:   CWA Notice

River Watch vs. City of Santa Rosa
Date Filed: January 21, 2015
PDF: CWA Notice | Complaint | Settlement Agreement

California River Watch vs. Russian River Community Sanitation District
(Sonoma County Water Agency)
Date Filed: October 29, 2015
PDF: CWA Notice

California River Watch vs. Recology, Inc.; Recology Hay Road
Date Filed: October 27, 2015
PDF: CWA Notice

River Watch vs. Lake County Sanitation District
Date filed: May 30, 2003
PDF: Settlement Agreement

River Watch vs. City of Laguna Beach
Date Filed: June 10, 2014
PDF: Complaint | Public Statement

River Watch vs. Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District/Sonoma County Water Agency
Date Filed: January 13, 2015
PDF: CWA Notice | Settlement Agreement

River Watch vs. Northern Recycling Operations and Napa Valley Waste Mgmt.
(Devlin Road Transfer Station)
Date Filed: April 15, 2015
PDFs:  CWA Notice | Settlement Agreement

River Watch vs. City of Inglewood
Date Filed: August 29, 2014
PDF: CWA Notice | Complaint | Settlement Agreement

California River Watch vs. Warner Bros
Date Filed: November 4, 2014
PDF: CWA Notice | Settlement Agreement

California River Watch vs. Salton Community Services District
Date Filed: November 4, 2014
PDF: CWA Notice | Settlement Agreement

River Watch vs. City of Willits Wastewater Treatment Plant
Date Filed: May 10, 2013
PDF: CWA Notice | Complaint | Settlement Agreement

River Watch vs. Uni-Tile & Marble, Inc.
Date Filed: February 13, 2013
PDF: CWA Notice | Complaint | Final Agreement

River Watch vs The City of San Jose
Date Filed: November 30, 2011
PDF: CWA Notice | Comlaint | Consent Decree

River Watch vs. Napa Valley Marina
Date Filed: February 8, 2013
PDF: CWA Notice | Settlement Agreement

River Watch vs. Redwood Landfill/Waste Management
Dated filed: February 6, 2007
PDF: Complaint | RCRA Notice | CWA Notice | Consent Decree

Leaking Pollutants from Damaged Sewer Lines
River Watch vs. City of Ukiah
Date filed: August 13, 2004

Discharge to Hydrologically Connected Waterways
River Watch vs. City of Healdsburg
Date filed: September 17, 2001
PDF: Ninth Circuit Decision

Endangered Species Act

Community Letter Requesting Cooperation in the Protection of Endangered Salmonids – Coho, Chinook and Steelhead
Date Filed: February 10, 2014
PDF: Community Letter

Violation of the ESA
River Watch vs. Mendocino Growers
Date Filed: January 9, 2012
PDFs: ESA Notice | ESA Notice | ESA Notice

Endangered Species Act Violations
California River Watch vs. John Sweeney/Point Buckler LLC
Date Filed: January 14, 2016
PDF: ESA Notice

Violations of ESA
River Watch vs. Gallo Vineyards
Date Filed: January 30, 2015
PDF: ESA Notice

River Watch vs. Balletto
Date Filed: November 7, 2014
PDF: Consent Decree and Order

River Watch vs. Castaneda
Date Filed: April 15, 2013
PDF: Complaint | First Amended Complaint | Consent and Decree Order

River Watch vs. SWRCB
Date Filed: November 17, 2009
PDF: ESA Notice

River Watch vs. Green Pastures Valley, LLC
Date Filed: December 14, 2009
PDF: ESA Complaint | Settlement Agreement

River Watch vs. Bodega Bay Public Utilities District
Date Filed: February 11, 2011
PDFs: CWA Notice | ESA Notice | SDWA Notice | Coastal Act Notice | Settlement Agreement

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

Violations of RCRA
River Watch vs. Thrifty Oil Company/ BP West Coast Products
Date Filed: January 31, 2013
PDF: RCRA Notice

CRW v Vacaville 9th Circuit Decision
Date Filed: September 29, 2021
PDFs:
Ninth Circuit Decision

River Watch vs Kinder Morgan Energy LLP
Date Filed: March 14, 2011
PDFs: CWA Notice | RCRA Notice | CWA Notice | RCRA Notice | Complaint

River Watch vs. Dow Chemical Company
Date Filed: July 14, 2009
PDF: CWA Notice | RCRA Notice

River Watch vs. Purex and Honeywell
Date Filed: October 1, 2010
PDF: RCRA Notice | CWA Notice | Settlement Agreement

River Watch vs AC Transit
Date Filed: December 15, 2010
PDF: Notice | Settlement Agreement

River Watch vs. 7-Eleven, Inc.
Date Filed: July 9, 2010
PDF: Notice

River Watch vs. Union Pacific Railroad, et al
Date Filed: March 4, 2008
PDF: Complaint | Final Consent Decree and Order

Safe Drinking Water Act

River Watch vs. County of Fresno
Date Filed: September 25, 2014
PDF: First Amended Complaint | Settlement Agreement

River Watch vs. City of Livingston
Date Filed: December 10, 2013
PDF: Complaint | Settlement Agreement

River Watch vs. County of Madera
Date Filed: May 2, 2013
PDF: SDWA Notice | Complaint | Complaint Exhibit A | Settlement Agreement

Other Environmental Statutes

California River Watch vs. County of Sonoma, et al.
Date Filed: August 9, 2016
PDF: Climate Petition for Writ | Order Granting Climate Plan

River Watch vs General Growth Properties, Inc./Bay Shore Mall LP
Date Filed: November 29, 2011
PDF: Notice | Complaint | First Amended Complaint | Settlement Agreement