The proprietors of a Northern California nudist resort have been accused of illegally diverting water from a nearby creek to their own property. Glyn and Lori Kay Stout, owners of Lupin Lodge in Los Gatos, pleaded not guilty of taking the water for their 80-year-old “clothing optional getaway,” which features a pool, tennis courts, volleyball and other activities for those who enjoy sports in the buff. 

“Diversion of water in the middle of drought is worrisome to everyone and lends an urgency to the case,” said Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Denise Raabe, referring to the fourth year of a severe West Coast drought. 

Prosecutors say the Stouts had no rights to siphon creek water between July and November 2014. They are charged with felony conspiracy to commit trespassing for the purpose of injuring a property right. Two other resort employees also are charged in the case, and are due in court in September.

The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office says the Stouts asked permission from the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District to use water from the creek and were denied, but wildlife cameras show individuals from the lodge carrying plastic tubing to the creek.

The Stouts were not available for comment, but a recent newsletter for Lupin Lodge said the lodge had cut its water use by 40 percent this year, and that the lodge “owns the water sources for all of its water.” If convicted, the couple faces up to three years in county jail.