Tuesday January 13, 2026
The Sun —
A Modesto Irrigation District director has faced intense scrutiny over the last several months for allegedly stealing or misusing the district’s canal water.
The allegations against Larry Byrd resulted in an investigation that the district launched last September.
The backstory: Byrd had been accused during the public comment section of a board meeting that he used the district’s canal water to irrigate an almond orchard on his property, AB La Grange Ranch.