FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Teri Red Owl, Executive Director, Owens Valley Indian Water Commission, [email protected], 760 873 3300

Wendy Schneider, Executive Director, Friends of the Inyo, [email protected], 310 849 3662

 LADWP Retracts Deep Aquifer Pumping Project

Los Angeles, CA Oct. 14, 2024

On Oct. 8. 2024, The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) agreed to retract its “Notice of Determination and Notice of Exemption – Addendum to the 1991 Environmental Impact Report . . . Pursuant to a Long-Term Groundwater Management Plan for Replacement of Wells W247 and W379” (“NOD and NOE”). The retraction followed correspondence and discussions between LADWP and concerned members of the community, including the Eastern Sierra Water Alliance (“ESWA” comprised of the Owens Valley Indian Water Commission, the Sierra Club, and Friends of the Inyo) regarding potential negative impacts these new wells would have on Owens Valley’s (Payahuunadü’s) ecosystems, including groundwater levels, vegetation, and future water availability in Payahuunadü.

LADWP filed the NOD and NOE on Sept. 10, 2024. While the name of the filing indicated that the project was solely for the replacement of certain wells, ESWA and other community members learned that the proposed project would shift LADWP’s groundwater pumping strategy to exploiting deep valley aquifers, thereby rendering the Long Term Water Agreement’s monitoring and management protocols impotent. These parties expressed concerns to LADWP that such a change in strategy necessarily requires a full, transparent environmental analysis of its potential and likely impacts. After fruitful meetings with ESWA representatives Lynn Boulton, Wendy Schneider and other concerned community members, LADWP agreed to retract the filing, stating that, “Any forthcoming proposed work would be subject to CEQA.”

“We’re relieved that LADWP has decided not to proceed without fully evaluating the potential impacts of their project and so appreciative of all those who came together collectively to protect Payahuunadü.” said Teri Red Owl, Executive Director of the Owens Valley Indian Water Commission.

“After we raised concerns about the introduction of an entirely new system and method of pumping that would undergo no formal environmental analysis of its impacts, LADWP agreed to retract, for now, its plan to drill these wells which would pump exclusively from the deep aquifer,” said Wendy Schneider, executive director at Friends of the Inyo.

CEQA requires a detailed assessment of the potential environmental impacts of the deep aquifer pumping project, including its effects on groundwater characteristics, springs and seeps, valley recharge, vegetation, wildlife habitat, and other ecological values and resources. Further, CEQA provides for public transparency, allowing critical analysis of the project.

The Eastern Sierra Water Alliance strives for more just and equitable water management in Payahuunadü that fulfills local human needs and ecosystem rights.