OWENS VALLEY GROUNDWATER AUTHORITY
Members: Big Pine CSD – City of Bishop – County of Inyo – County of Mono– Indian Creek-Westridge CSD
Interested Parties: Lone Pine Paiute Shoshone Tribe – Owens Valley Committee
P.O. Box 337
135 Jackson Street
Independence, CA 93526
For Immediate Release
Phone: (760) 878-0001
Fax: (760) 878-2552
www.OVGA.us
Contact: Aaron Steinwand, Executive Manager, OVGA
760-878-0001; [email protected]
Public input requested on elements of the Groundwater Sustainability Plan for the Owens Valley Groundwater Basin The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) of 2014 empowers local agencies to ensure groundwater resources are managed sustainably. The Owens Valley Groundwater Authority (OVGA) was created to develop a Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSP) for the Owens Valley Groundwater Basin which includes the Owens, Round, Chalfant, Hammil, and Benton Valleys as well as Fish Slough and the area around Owens Lake. The OVGA is a joint powers authority composed of Inyo County, Mono County, City of Bishop, Indian CreekWestridge Community Service District (CSD), and Big Pine CSD as well as two interested parties, the Lone Pine Paiute Shoshone Tribe and the Owens Valley Committee.
Even though the Basin is not in a critically over-drafted condition and was ranked by the California Department of Water Resources as a low priority basin, the OVGA elected to develop a GSP voluntarily over the last year. A draft GSP was released on September 23 and is available
for review and public comment here https://ovga.us/gsa-plan/. The OVGA recognizes the importance of stakeholder input on the draft GSP and will conduct two public workshops with the assistance of staff from the Inyo-Mono Integrated Regional Water Management Program.
The workshops will review proposed projects in the GSP and provide an opportunity for the public to provide comments on the draft. The contents of the two workshops will be the same.
Public Workshops:
Wednesday, October 6, 6:30-8:00 p.m. Public can attend via videoconference:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85090264658?pwd=eE5oeWN3djZEUFAvQzBMb3NNK0tEZz09
Wednesday, October 13, 6:30-8:00 p.m. Public can attend via videoconference:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89027654588?pwd=MmQyVG03Qkc5UXpxdUZKZEl0TGV1Zz09
In order to minimize the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the OVGA will conduct these workshops exclusively online. To join by phone, refer to the numbers and webinar ID at the bottom of this announcement. To provide public comment or questions during the meeting, press the raise your hand function or *9 if joining by phone. Public input may also be submitted directly to the OVGA during the meeting to [email protected] with the subject line “OVGA stakeholder outreach”. Public comment can also be submitted after the meeting by clicking the contact link on OVGA.us website. All comments will be made a part of the record for
consideration by the OVGA.
Or iPhone one-tap :
US: +16699006833,,87146769883 or +13462487799,,87146769883
Or Telephone:
Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 669 900 6833
+1 346 248 7799
+1 253 215 8782
+1 929 205 6099
+1 301 715 8592
+1 312 626 6799
International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kvFjzLN
