In terms of snow and water content, the Eastern Sierra snowpack has started to climb its way above last year’s dismal levels. The peak usually takes place in April, but for right now the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power website snowpack graphs look better.
The snow on Mammoth Pass tells the story. Right now, it sits at 12.5 inches of water. Last year at this time, the snowpack looked more like 4 or 5 inches of water content.
LADWP keeps what they call snow pillows in individual mountain sites throughout Inyo-Mono. They measure snowfall. In terms of percent of normal for this time of year, Mammoth Pass sits at 145%. Rock Creek, 198%. South Lake, 85%. Big Pine Creek, 80% Cottonwood Lakes, 160%.
Precipitation measurements that LADWP calculates from several sites show Lee Vining at 172% of normal for this time of year. Long Valley, 90%. Bishop, 38%. Big Pine, 40%, Independence, 57%. Los Angeles, 31%. Again, that’s precipitation.
So, it’s definitely not the final story for the year, but the precipitation – both frozen and liquid – have fallen in greater amounts than last year. It’s enough to keep the recreation engine churning, but environmental benefits will come clear later.
Check out LADWP’s graph. Type in Eastern Sierra Precipitation Conditions in the search box. Then click on Los Angeles Aqueduct Condition Reports.
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With such a good forecast, maybe DWP can cut back on all the cheap tricks it has been pulling to get more water.
412,924 acre feet is the mean average runoff of the Owens River Basin. I have arrived at that number from info in the 2012-2013 Owens Valley Report which is available at this DWP Water web site. This year DWP is projecting 268,400 acre feet runoff that being 60% of the mean average runoff . There are 43,560 cubic feet in one acre foot and 11,691,504,000 cubic feet in the projected runoff this year . The Aqueduct capacity is 485 cubic feet per second above Haiwee Reservoir and add 290 cfs of the second Aqueduct that begins from there and it won’t be long untill all the runoff has flowed south to Los Angeles. There are restrictions that limit pumping from the Owens Valley , thanks to the Inyo County Water Dept, the Owens Valley Committee and the DWP. Not sure what amount of the total 775 cfs LA Aqueduct capacity is derived from pumping and what is from the surface flow of the runoff. If we are fortunate enough to have a continued better than average runoff then the areas of contention in the Water Agreement that have not been dealt with very well by the DWP might be resolved in time for the 100 year anniversary of the Aqueduct.
Another document in this portal is in the “Owens Lake” link. The 2012 Complaint of the DWP against Great Basin APCD , the Calif Air Resources Board, the BLM and the EPA is available and signed by a Stuart L. Somach , Attorney for the DWP http://www.somachlaw.com/attorneys_bio.php?profile=summary&id=1.
What is interesting is the recognition that this law firm is one of the “10 Best Law Firms in America” according to the US News and World Report. I wonder what they are costing the DWP rate payer and why DWP has any complaint about the Great Basin attorney fees that DWP is also required to pay. Additionally LADWP is not on their list of clients even though there are so many agencies listed. Is someone hiding out something from someone? Are there embarrasments here? This Litigation mess is so expensive and as bad as all the dust that has ever come off Owens Lake.
Also, DWP might want to either provide it’s readers with a more accurate History of the Aqueduct or at least provide references to this airy fairy illusion that has been written. The “History” does not serve their stewardship of the Sierra Waters as it is barely in touch with the facts and present day realities of The Aqueduct . This could be your year DWP when you get all the water you need and find new ways of going into the next century