Press release

MORE ABOUT WATER IN THE EASTERN SIERRA
Inyo County Water Commission Field Trip
Wednesday, October 10, 2018 – 9:00 a.m.to 2:30 p.m.

The Inyo County Water Commission invites the public to participate in a field trip to learn more about water in the Eastern Sierra and how that most important of natural resources affects our lives in myriad ways.

We will meet at the Eastern Sierra Interagency Visitor Center in Lone Pine and from there drive to the Owens Lake Plover Wing Plaza; a stunning installation, which celebrates the transformation of Owens Lake into one of the birding hot spots in the West.

Next, we will travel to a promising recreation project,  the Owens River Water Trail. We will finish the tour near the Alabama Gates with views of the Lower Owens River’s islands marsh.

Trip capacity is limited; please R.S.V.P to Laura Piper at 760-878-0001 or [email protected]. The tour may be joined in progress by contacting 760-920-1169.

What to bring:
–snacks and/or a bag lunch (eat on the fly)
–at least a quart of water or other drink
–hat, sunscreen, and appropriate clothes for the weather
–boots or sturdy walking shoes
–binoculars
–high clearance vehicle (local carpooling likely available)
–questions!
ITINERARY
Although it’s best to be with the group from the start, you may join the tour at the times and locations
listed. Times are approximate:
9:00 a.m.—9:15 a.m.
Eastern Sierra Visitor Center—meet at the parking lot at the junction of Highway 395 and State Route 136 (Death Valley Road).
9:30 a.m.—11:00 a.m.
Owens Lake Plover Wing Plaza—Witness firsthand how a regional environmental disaster is being transformed into one of the West’s most astoundingly successful conservation projects that was recently recognized as a Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network site of International Importance. Meet at the Plaza, which is along the major haul road off State Route 136, 10.3 miles east of the Highway 395/SR 136 junction.

11:20 a.m.—1:15 p.m.
Owens River Water Trail—Learn about this ambitious plan to create a 6.3-mile long paddle trail for kayaks, canoes, and stand-up paddleboards on this very scenic section of the Lower Owens River. Get a glorious overview of the project area from the sandy bluffs above the river. Meet at the junction of Lone Pine Narrow Gauge Road and Owens River.

1:20 p.m.—2:30 p.m.
The Lower Owens River Islands—Get an overview of the Lower Owens River Project’s green blemish: the water-fueled transition from a mosaic of willow woodland and river-riparian habitat known as the islands to cattail and bulrush marsh and learn about the opportunities and challenges that has presented. Meet at the Alabama Gates overlook, which is 4.45 miles north of Lone Pine Narrow Gauge Road on Highway 395 and immediately north of the Alabama Gates Spillway (please used the paved
shoulder to exit the highway).