For their groundwater pumping plan this year, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power wants to pump 91,000 acre feet. Inyo County recommends 68,510 acre feet.

The Inyo Water Commission recommended that DWP pump 7,000 acre feet less than their proposal for Big Pine. Inyo County’s comments say that Inyo recommends “that this year’s high runoff be used to recharge the Big Pine well field.” DWP has over-pumped the Big Pine area over recent years. Nearby in the TAboose-Aberdeen area, Inyo recommends DWP limit pumping to 10,000 acre feet instead of 14,000.

And, since vegetation conditions are poor in the Black Rock area, Inyo recommends 12,800 acre feet instead of 17,200. Inyo also calls for water spreading to help bring back groundwater levels that have dropped. In fact, Inyo has pressed LADWP to comment on what Inyo sees as significant damage in that area.

Inyo also recommends less pumping than DWP wants in the Independence-Oak area, Symmes Shepherd well field and Bairs-Georges well field. All told, Inyo points to the heavy runoff year and a chance for depleted groundwater tables to recover. Inyo recommends 22,500 acre feet less than DWP’s plan.

This issue will come up at a Technical Group meeting which will follow the Friday Standing Committee meeting. The Technical Group of Inyo and LA will meet in the Supervisors board room in Independence at 3:30pm