Humphreys v. Moulton

SMITH, J.

The suit was brought to recover damages to the plaintiff’s land, caused by the act of the defendants in collecting into a single channel the surface waters flowing over the defendants’ lands in time of rain, and thereby discharging the aggregate volume of water upon plaintiff’s land, to the damage of plaintiff, etc. Judgment was rendered for the plaintiff for damages, and also for an injunction. The appeal is from the judgment and from an order denying the defendants’ motion for a new trial.

[258]

The plaintiff’s land lies below the canal of the Riverside Land Company and some distance to the north therefrom. The defendants own the land intervening between plaintiff’s, land and the canal, and also lands to the south of the canal extending up into a valley or ravine in the hills, along which there lies a dry channel or waterway; which, it is found by the court, at a point described as the southern end of the lot of the defendants, known as lot 21, divides itself into three channels, one running along the west and the other along the east boundary of that lot, and the third over the intervening space.

The waterway along the east boundary of the lot is found' by the court to be the main branch or wash, and its general course to its point of discharge is described in detail; and this is true also of the waterway on the west side of the lot as it was in its natural condition; and it is urged by the appellants that these findings.are in some particulars not justified by the evidence. But with regard to each of the findings objected to the evidence seems to be conflicting, and, at all events, the findings seem to be immaterial. For the ultimate-finding is, that there were two or more channels or waterways, and that all of these were brought together into the channel complained of; and this finding is not attacked, nor indeed’ under the evidence could it be. And upon these facts, under a long line of decisions in this state, it must be held that the-plaintiff was entitled to recover.

(Ogburn

v. Connor, 46 Cal. 350, [13 Am. Rep. 213];

Lamb

v.

Reclamation Dist.,