LADWP Pumping Plan Prelude

LADWP Pumping Plan Prelude

Water holds a prominent place in the relationship between the Eastern Sierra and Los Angeles. This year was a tad different as both entities dealt with nature’s display of mayhem and destruction.

While the Eastern Sierra was spared the worst of it, Los Angeles’ suburbs experienced the double whammy of too much water followed by devastating floods and fire. Local water-watchers had to wonder, as they were inundated with 24-hour coverage of the devastation in the suburbs north of LA: how will this display of Mother Nature’s power impact our own water issues.

The answer to those questions came April 20 with the official publication of LADWP’s Operation Plan. The Inyo County Water Commission has a week to review the plan before its April 28, 6 p.m. meeting followed by a joint meeting of the Commission and the Inyo County Board of Supervisors meeting April 29.

Water Department head Holly Alpert prepped the Supervisors at last week’s Board meeting. LADWP’s planned uses in the Owens Valley total 95,130 acre-feet including 50,400 AF for irrigation, 10,840 AF for stockwater, 14,910 AF for the Lower Owens’ River Project with the majority used between April and September and 7,000 AF spread in Big Pine and Laws this spring.  The Department plans to export 136,000 AF from the Owens Valley and a total of 286,000 AF from the Eastern Sierra which adds up to 60-percent of Los Angeles’ water supply for the water year that runs from Spring to Fall.

Deb Murphy