B.C. cattle farm owner fined nearly $30,000 for obstructing drought inspection officers

A cattle farm owner in British Columbia’s Interior has been fined nearly $30,000 after pleading guilty to obstructing provincial inspectors who were carrying out irrigation checks during the height of the 2023 drought.

Erik Buff, who owns a large farm in Westwold, B.C., admitted to one offence under the province’s Water Sustainability Act and was ordered to pay a total penalty of $29,900.

The penalty was outlined in a March 26 decision from Provincial Court Judge David Patterson, who accepted a joint sentencing submission agreed to by Crown prosecutors and Buff’s defence.

Incident happened during severe drought

The case stems from Aug. 29, 2023, when two provincial natural resource officers were enforcing fish protection orders during a period of severe drought across much of B.C.’s Interior.

At the time, the province had imposed restrictions on certain irrigation practices in an effort to protect salmon populations threatened by low water levels and heat-stressed waterways.

One of those orders applied to the Salmon River, its tributaries and connected aquifers, including waterways near Westwold, a rural community located about 45 kilometres southeast of Kamloops.

Inspectors blocked from carrying out duties

According to the judgment, the officers had arrived at Buff’s property — described by the court as a large acreage planted with alfalfa — when a confrontation began.

The ruling says Buff’s wife first argued with the officers. Buff then arrived in a truck and drove toward them, stopping just short of the front bumper of their vehicle and blocking them in.

The court heard that the officers feared for their safety and believed they might be rammed.

Buff later backed up, allowing the officers to leave, but the encounter prevented them from completing their inspection at the property.

Judge Patterson wrote that because of Buff’s actions, the officers were obstructed from carrying out their duties and inspections on the Buff property were suspended for a period due to safety concerns.

Judge says blameworthiness was high

In his decision, Patterson said Buff’s moral blameworthiness was high and described the obstruction as serious.

At the same time, the judge noted that Buff had no prior criminal record and is a lifelong resident of Westwold.

He described Buff as, by all accounts, an outstanding member of the community apart from this incident.

Still, Patterson concluded the agreed-upon penalty was appropriate, saying it would act both as a direct deterrent to Buff and as a broader warning to others who might attempt to interfere with provincial inspectors carrying out enforcement duties.

Broader drought enforcement context

The case highlights the heightened tensions that emerged during B.C.’s 2023 drought, when water restrictions and fish protection orders were introduced in several regions to preserve dwindling streamflows and safeguard vulnerable salmon runs.

The court’s decision reinforces that provincial inspectors must be allowed to carry out those duties without intimidation or interference, particularly during periods of environmental stress when enforcement becomes more urgent.