By Deb Murphy After skipping its February meeting to figure out staffing, the Owens Valley Groundwater Authority had a chance to mull over its draft budget for this fiscal year. This budget takes into consideration some unknowns when the initial budget was developed prior to the official formation of the Authority. The biggest unknown was […]
By Deb Murphy As if Fred Stump didn’t make his position on specific groups joining the Owens Valley Groundwater Authority board as voting members clear enough at last month’s meeting, the Mono County Supervisor doubled down Monday afternoon, objecting on ethical terms. “This is an ethical issue,” he said at the end of a discussion […]
By Deb Murphy The Inyo County Board of Supervisors has filed a temporary restraining order, stopping the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power from flipping the on-switch to Well 385R’s pump test. In addition, the Board has initiated litigation against the department to keep the pump off. The decision was made at Tuesday’s closed […]
Press release The County of Inyo, with assistance from the California Department of Water Resources, is taking major steps to address a situation plaguing West Bishop in the form of wildly fluctuating hydrological conditions. Responding to a request from the Inyo County Board of Supervisors, two experts with the CDWR arrived in Bishop this week to assess the […]
By Deb Murphy With a little wordsmithing, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s request for an okay on the development of a plan to reduce water allocations for irrigation and mitigation projects in the event of a fifth consecutive year of drought came before Monday’s Standing Committee meeting in Independence. The re-wording made […]
The following letter was submitted by Daniel Pritchett of Bishop: The OpEd from Bob Harrington (Inyo Register 10/24/15) contained a review of language in the Inyo-LA Long Term Water Agreement (LTWA) regarding groundwater pumping and new wells. It was also a good example of how county officials intentionally understate the failure of LTWA management. Specifically, […]
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s intent to put in three new production wells and replace an 87-year old well in Laws did not go over well at Monday evening’s Inyo County Water Commission meeting. The strongest reaction came from Commissioner Craig Patten. Considering the drought, “we’re playing with fire,” Patten said. “We […]
The Memorandum of Understanding partners met last Thursday in an effort to re-allocate what little water there is to keep area ranchers’ in business. According to Inyo County Water Department Director Bob Harrington, the meeting resulted in a potential 4,000-5,000 acre-feet of water that could be added to the 16,500 acre-feet scheduled for irrigation this […]
Numbers and locations have been thrown out since Monday’s Tech Group meeting, but the final decision on how to provide adequate irrigation for Owens Valley agriculture was postponed at Thursday’s Standing Committee meeting. Farmers and ranchers will have to wait until June 4 to know how many cuts they’ll get from their alfalfa fields, how […]
By Deb Murphy Owens Valley wet leases will have their water allotments cut by 66 percent this run-off year, an unprecedented number during an unprecedented drought. “There just isn’t any water,” Inyo County Water Department Director Bob Harrington told the Board of Supervisors at its April 21 meeting. Estimated run-off is at 36 percent of […]
By Deb Murphy With the Owens Valley Committee conditions on the table, it’s now up to the other five Memorandum of Understanding partners to pick up the discussion that just may result in in the Lower Owens River Project, Phase II. The OVC Board of Directors issued its press release Tuesday listing nine conditions. If […]
By Deb Murphy While some Southern California weathermen optimistically look at current conditions as a glass half full, the truth is the glass isn’t even half full. Try less than 10 percent full. Inyo County Water Department Director Bob Harrington delivered the latest numbers at Monday evening’s meeting of the Water Commission. The only optimistic […]
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