The controversy over the mural in Bishop called “Drain” has, indeed mostly gone down the drain, but students from the University of the Pacific found the mural and its story fascinating.

A field trip of students studying conflicts over water resources naturally passed through the Owens Valley. They saw the Owens Dry Lake bed and the mural in Bishop. They heard about the decades-long disputes over water.

The Professor in charge of the trip talked to us. Laura Rodamacher, Professor in the Geo-Sciences Department of the University of the Pacific in the Stockton area, said that she brought her class to the Eastern Sierra because they were studying conflicts over water resources around the world.

One of the case studies we looked at is Mono Lake and the Owens Valley the historical conflicts over water. The professor said they had talked a lot about Inyo-Mono in class. She said seeing the Owens Dry Lake, Mono Lake, groundwater pumping fields, and the mural have really put things in perspective.

The students were also scheduled to hear from California Native Plant Society’s Conservation Chairman, Daniel Pritchett of Bishop.

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