4 pot farms busted in Madera County

Authorities said a marijuana garden was found in Chowchilla, and three more gardens were found in Coarsegold.

On Tuesday, Madera County authorities said water district employees were clearing bamboo from the banks of the Berenda Slough in Chowchilla, when they found a large marijuana crop in two separate plots.

Just as the Madera County Narcotic Enforcement Team (MADNET) cleared the crop Wednesday morning, they said word came in that three more gardens had been discovered in Coarsegold. Two of the gardens were found off Highway 41 and the third garden was found near Hogans Mountain Road.

MADNET said all of the farms were illegal -- despite the an ordinance allowing medical marijuana cultivation that allows for plants to be grown indoors. The penalty for not complying with the ordinance is a $250 fine per plant. MADNET said Code Enforcement fines totaled more than $65,000 for the nearly 4,000 pounds of plants found in the foothills.