Let’s Speak to Los Angeles Decision-Makers for Payahuunadü’s Water!
Thank you to everyone who has joined the recent public meetings as the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) decides how much groundwater it will pump from Payahuunadü over this next year. We have started a powerful new pattern of encouraging our County to take a stronger stand, and banding together with Angelenos to ask for LADWP to do better. There is one FINAL meeting as part of this annual process: the Inyo County/Los Angeles Standing Committee meeting. This will take place at 11am on Monday 5/19.
What will happen at this meeting? Two LADWP Commissioners and one LA City Councilperson will travel up to Payahuunadü to meet with Inyo County representatives. This is one of only TWO opportunities we have each year to give public comment to LADWP higher-ups. The officials will be briefed on these groundwater pumping plans and make a couple of small-scale decisions. Despite the infrequent meeting of this Committee, this meeting agenda appears hollow and procedural only.
Why does this meeting matter? Last week at the Technical Group meeting, the Eastern Sierra LADWP staff made the public feel scorned and dismissed. Next week, we’ll be in the room with their bosses from LA. Let’s elevate our concerns to the next level! We asked their staff to take less water, and their staff did not listen. Together, we can transform this perfunctory meeting into an opportunity to tell Los Angeles decision-makers that this system is broken. We need to see meaningful change.
How to join in person? This meeting will be held in person at 224 North Edwards St. in Independence, CA. We know this is incredibly short notice, but please join us in person if you can: more people will be more powerful! If you’re not able to join in person, please consider joining on Zoom at this link. Every voice will make a huge difference in demanding better from our leaders.
— Friends of the Inyo, collaborating with the Owens Valley Indian Water Commission and the Three Creeks Collective
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