Dealing in Destruction

March 10, 2009 By: Marshall Cutchin

Last April we reported on the case of San Francisco millionaire Luke Brugnara, who said he was being unfairly attacked by state and local officials for damming Little Arthur Creek, which runs through his property (see “‘Trophy’ Real Estate Developer Snagged Poaching Steelhead“). An article by Chris Bone in this morning’s Gilroy Dispatch tells the tale behind the tale: that Brugnara tried to sell 3 billion gallons of water from the creek to the Santa Clara Valley Water District. Never mind that the creek is important spawning water for endangered steelhead. Seems that Brugnara has since “filed five Chapter 11 bankruptcy claims in the past four months with a total debt of nearly $75 million.”