MOSES LAKE - A boat minus its motor was found near Moses Lake in the East Low Canal, south of Wheeler Road, on Friday.

Identification was left in the boat and the Grant County Sheriff's Office is looking into the matter, said Craig Simpson, secretary-manager of the East Columbia Basin Irrigation District.

The boat was pulled out of the canal by irrigation district workers.

The Norcal boat and trailer were reported stolen from a home on Harris Road, said Ken Jones, a chief deputy with the sheriff's office.

The owner believed the boat was taken because he put a lot of money into the motor, Jones explained. The boat was found stripped of its components.

The owner picked up the hull of the boat from the sheriff's office, but the trailer is still missing, Jones said Monday.

In the past, district staff has found vehicles and appliances in the canal, Simpson said.

Many times, the owner of the property isn't aware the items were dumped, Simpson said.

In other cases, it appears people are illegally dumping property because they don't want to pay to use the county landfill.

Friday was the first time Simpson had heard of a boat being found in the canal.