The article tells you how Greiff applied for rights to water both fields with the same amount of water. The state approved the application for both fields (on record) back in 1975 but inexplicably only issued certification for one. He’s spent decades with a consultant (who previously worked for the state, so he knows how they operate and can guide Greiff through their maze) to clear up the mess. The consultant thinks it’s a paperwork snafu on the part of the state but, in the meantime, the state is making Greiff jump through costly hoops to keep operating.
The consultant thinks it’s a paperwork snafu.
That’s what the courts are to determined.