2012 Lower Owens River Project Annual Report now available
Each year, Inyo County and LADWP prepare a report on conditions in the Lower Owens River Project (LORP) area that includes information collected from a LORP-wide biological and infrastructure survey, and data obtained from habitat and flow compliance monitoring. The results of these studies are analyzed and form the basis of recommendations on the need to take adaptive management actions.
Information found in the 2012 report represents the completion of the fifth year of monitoring the Lower Owens River, Blackrock Waterfowl Management Area, Delta Habitat Area, and Off-River Lakes and Ponds in the LORP area.
The County of Inyo and LADWP will conduct a public meeting on the information contained in the LORP 2012 Draft Annual Report at 8 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 3, in the LADWP Multi-purpose Room located at 300 Mandich Street in Bishop. This meeting is to provide the public and MOU Parties the opportunity to offer comments on the draft report and any other LORP-related issues they would like to discuss with staff from LADWP, the County of Inyo, and the MOU consultants.
The LORP 2012 Draft Annual Report is available for your review and can be downloaded from the LADWP website: http://www.ladwp.com/LORP. A hard copy of this report may be reviewed by the public at either the LADWP office in Bishop, 300 Mandich Street, Bishop, CA 93514, or in Independence at the Inyo County Water Department, 135 S. Jackson St., Independence, CA 93526.
Written comments related to the LORP 2012 Draft Annual Report can be sent to the above-noted addresses by Friday, Jan. 18. Following consideration of the comments submitted, the Technical Group will conduct a meeting tentatively scheduled for February 13. Technical Group meetings are open to the public, and meeting agendas are provided in advance of each meeting. Please send an email to lpiper@inyocounty.us if you would like to receive agendas for upcoming Technical Group, Standing Committee, and Inyo County Water Commission meetings.
If you have any questions, please contact Brian Tillemans, LADWP, Environmental Affairs Officer 760.872.1104, or Larry Freilich, Inyo County, Mitigation Manager 760.878.0011.
The Lower Owens River Project settled more than 24 years of litigation between the LADWP and Inyo County over groundwater pumping and water exports. The Project began in 2006 when Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa turned a knob that opened a diversion dam gate about 235 miles north of the city, putting water back into a river essentially left dry after its flows of Sierra snowmelt were diverted to the Los Angeles Aqueduct in 1913.
