ag gin ' s ▁case , ▁his ▁company ▁ran ▁into ▁problems ▁with ▁the ▁Miller ▁& ▁Lux ▁Corporation , ▁run ▁by ▁Henry ▁Miller ▁and ▁Charles ▁Lux , ▁who ▁owned ▁more ▁than ▁ ▁throughout ▁the ▁San ▁Jo aqu in ▁Valley , ▁Tul are ▁Bas in , ▁and ▁other ▁regions ▁of ▁California . ▁The ▁court ▁battle ▁that ▁resulted ▁would ▁change ▁water ▁laws ▁and ▁rights ▁in ▁the ▁San ▁Jo aqu in ▁River ▁valley ▁forever , ▁and ▁ended ▁up ▁prom oting ▁large - scale ▁ag rib us iness ▁over ▁small ▁far mers . ▁ ▁Miller ▁and ▁Lux ▁were ▁not ▁any ▁newer ▁to ▁the ▁San ▁Jo aqu in ▁Valley ▁than ▁had ▁been ▁H ag gin , ▁but ▁were ▁the ▁driving ▁influence ▁on ▁valley ▁ag rib us iness ▁until ▁well ▁into ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁The ▁corpor ation ▁had ▁begun ▁acqu iring ▁land ▁in ▁the ▁valley ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 8 , ▁eventually ▁holding ▁s way ▁over ▁an ▁enorm ous ▁sw ath ▁reaching ▁from ▁the ▁K ern ▁River ▁in ▁the ▁south ▁to ▁the ▁Ch ow ch illa ▁River ▁in ▁the ▁north . ▁Much ▁of ▁the ▁land ▁that ▁Miller ▁and ▁Lux ▁acquired ▁was ▁sw amp ▁and ▁mar sh , ▁which ▁was ▁considered ▁virt ually ▁worth less . ▁However , ▁with ▁their ▁huge ▁capital , ▁they ▁could ▁afford ▁to ▁d rain ▁thousands ▁of ▁acres ▁of ▁it , ▁beginning ▁an ▁enorm ous ▁environmental ▁change ▁that ▁eventually ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁over ▁ 9 5 ▁percent ▁of ▁the ▁wet lands ▁ad jo ining ▁the ▁San ▁Jo aqu in