– Press release from the Owens Valley Mosquito Abatement Program
Increased water levels in the Lower Owens River Project, downstream from the Alabama Gates, has the potential to increase adult mosquito populations in and around Lone Pine. This may prompt spraying over the next few days if populations increase significantly.
To reduce the mosquito population and potential infected mosquitoes, which may carry diseases, truck-mounted mosquito spray application may be required in and around Lone Pine.
Inyo County staff are carefully monitoring the larval and adult populations of mosquitoes to determine if fogging will be required.
All spray applications will take place between 4 am and 7 am. Spraying may be rescheduled due to weather conditions. The applications will not leave significant residue and is not persistent in the environment.
The public is urged to protect themselves from mosquito bites especially during the hours around dawn and dusk. Wearing long sleeves and pants and using a mosquito repellent containing DEET, Picaridin or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus will help limit the risk of contracting West Nile Virus.
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I was horrified to see a mosquito abatement truck come down my street in Independence early yesterday morning FOGGING the neighborhood! NO NOTIFICATION! My neighbors had just passed by with their 3 dogs and had no way to avoid walking through this insecticide to get back home. My car windows were down. The few bees I have were already out. I grow food in my yard. Had I not seen this truck, I would have walked over to our community garden (where we ALL garden organically) in the next few minutes to harvest for the farmer’s market. Instead, I put on a mask and drove the 1 block to shut off my water and did not help harvest. I have had migraines for 35 YEARS, beginning after working in an office that had been bug bombed overnight. I am livid that this indiscriminate spraying takes place. How does this affect the bees, beneficial insects, hummingbirds and my neighbor with respiratory problems? Is this why my garden is lacking spiders? What type of insecticide is used? I am assuming the tree lot was sprayed. If so, signs should have been posted – we walk our dogs there and they run through and drink the water! WHY weren’t we at least notified?????
Thank you Sierra Wave for this vital Public Health Notification. The Inyo County Mosquito Abatement along with the Water Department might have been informed ahead of time of the DWP maintenance releases into the LORP. In a previous post, I thought that Mother Nature was being helped with the DWP’s releases but I was completely wrong. The huge fish kill and now this potential for increased mosquito populations has been a huge mismanagement mistake by the DWP. If the DWP had presented their plan for maintenance of the Aqueduct to Inyo County ahead of the release of waters from the Alabama Gates, the expertise of the our Water Dept. and the Mosquito Abatement Professionals might have prevented this man made disaster for the fish and allowed the Abatement program to plan ahead for their mitigation activities. There is an organic product called “Bti” (Bacillus thuringiens ssp. isarelenis) that kills only mosquito larva. It is a highly selective bacteria in a granular form that could have been spread maybe ahead of time if the County had been warned of the increased flows by the DWP.
http://www.arbico-organics.com/category/pest-solver-guide-mosquitoes/36.
Issues in the EIR for the LORP have mitigation measures for fish kill, mosquitoes for the proper management of the River. DWP did not seem to remember the EIR or to inform the County.
I wonder also about the repairs on the concrete Aqueduct walls what they were maintaining. These walls are holding quite some water and if there was a breach in those walls, is Lone Pine safe being that the Aqueduct is above the town . Shouldn’t the County have a Building Inspection Expert who should have been made aware of the condition of the Aqueduct. This is a Public Safety and Welfare issue as is the mosquito problem, west nile virus considered. It is time find measures that insure that the DWP is being responsible and competent in the management of the Aqueduct . The Inyo County Water Department should have a compliance officer possibly. DWP employees who direct other employees to open gates and put public health and Safety at risk need to be held accountable by a regulating agency . The DWP has over and over again been found to have made many errors in judgment, in management, in compliance with Water Agreements , MOU’s, Hillside Decrees, Operations and many other activities . They need a regulating agency. Tomorrow at the Inyo Board of Supervisors Meeting the LORP issues will be addressed during Departmental reports. They will be informed of the status of the fish kill and the hatching of mosquitoes. I hope they are able to take some action with mitigating these problems . I hope that DWP is going to get the Bill for the Mitigation measures. It is time to take the gloves off and get serious with the DWP when they disregard normal operating practices, when they endanger our communities.
DW&P accidentally kills the fish, again?
One of the first stories I remember reporting on, when I took over the news anchor position on KNYO radio in Lone Pine in 1983, was; “Oops, DW&P suffocated the fish in the Owens River with a controlled discharge.”
I have long since lost count of the number of times that the DW&P “didn’t know” what the results of their actions would be.
You are correct Philip; every action that the DW&P takes here should be under Inyo County control. An organization with the worst engineering failure record in the history of California, should not be able to pour a tablespoon of concrete without full local over-site. The citizens of Lone Pine should not risk accepting DW&P’s word for anything, ever!
Ask the 600 plus folks who lived between the St. Francis dam and the pacific, about DW&P quality controls, oh; that’s right…. you can’t.
Seeing as how the article makes no mention of a fish kill, can you provide evidence that a fish kill has indeed occured?
Good question DT,
The answer is yes. You will find that evidence at the Owens Valley Committee Face book page. There are links to published reports,( including the LA Times) OVC member documentation and photos. The Inyo Register has a story in Thursdays paper . You probably have already seen it by now . Don’t be fooled that Nature is responsible. The DWP has done it again and we’ll see what the Department of Fish and Wildlife Investigation comes up with .
This Sierra Wave article is a press release from Mosquito Abatement informing and warning the community of Lone Pine of the issue of mosquitoes. Probably that’s the reason there is no mention of the fish kill in the article. Of course DT, you wouldn’t expect me to write about DWP increased water levels in the LORP without the complete story as I know it .