It’s That Time of Year:
LADWP Releases its Operation Plan

Inyo County’s Water Commission and Board of Supervisors both went through the annual ritual of reviewing Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s operation plans for the Valley. No surprise: with precipitation close to 300-percent of normal, pumping will be at a minimum only to supply water for in-valley uses, not export.

The one request suggested by Water Commission Chair Teri Red Owl: LADWP should spread the water where they pump. Both she and District 5 Supervisor Matt Kingsley were’t crazy about LADWP sending water to Ridgecrest. Kingsley’s preference was spreading at Rose Valley in southern Inyo.

So, here are the numbers. LADWP anticipates 241,400 acre-feet from the Mono Basin and
786,700 a-f from the Owens River Basin, 241-percent and 262-percent of average respectively
between April 1 through September, the end of the run-off season. The majority of water uses
on LA-owned lands in the Valley are irrigation, 54,980 a-f; recreation and wildlife, 7,490 a-f and stockwater 6,310 a-f.

According to LADWP’s report, pumping will range from 40,130 to 51,470 a-f. Both the
Commission and the Board will strongly recommend the minimum level. According to Water
Department Director Holly Alpert, the average increase in depth to water in wellfields will be
2.3-feet. The Independence-Oak wellfield should experience the highest increase in groundwater level at 6.3 to 6.2-feet, followed by Big Pine at 5.5 to 4.4-feet. The Big Pine wellfields are the most heavily pumped at 16,200 to 20,400 a-f with the water going through the Fish Springs Hatchery.