MENDOCINO CO., 2/12/26 – The California Department of Fish and Wildlife reported Monday that it documented thousands of cannabis-related environmental violations across California in 2025, citing impacts to waterways, wildlife habitat and public lands tied largely to illegal cultivation.
According to data released by the agency this month, environmental scientists recorded more than 2,100 violations in 27 counties last year. The figures provide a statewide overview of enforcement activity and were not broken down by county. Violations were associated with both licensed and illicit cannabis operations, though officials said illegal grows were more likely to involve unauthorized water use, banned pesticides and abandoned infrastructure.
CDFW highlighted a September 2025 enforcement operation in Mendocino County as one example of the types of impacts the agency encounters. During that operation, scientists documented water being diverted from a small creek pool that also supported foothill yellow-legged frogs and juvenile winter steelhead, according to the department.
According to CDFW, foothill yellow-legged frogs have declined across much of the state due to habitat loss and altered stream flows, while winter steelhead are considered vulnerable to water diversions and other changes to freshwater habitat.
Statewide, CDFW officers and scientists participated in hundreds of inspections and enforcement actions in 2025, often in coordination with other agencies. The department reported removing trash, dismantling illegal water diversions and seizing cannabis plants and firearms during those operations.
In addition, the state’s Unified Cannabis Enforcement Task Force, which includes CDFW officers, seized and destroyed $609 million in illegal cannabis products in 2025, with the largest seizures reported in Los Angeles, Alameda, Monterey, Kern and Tulare counties.
The department’s cannabis-related work is funded through tax revenue generated by legal cannabis sales approved by California voters.
More information about the CDFW’s work is available at https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Cannabis.