As Mammoth Community Water District gears up to spend money on a fight with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power for all of its surface water rights, officials have begun to look at LADWP’s water supply and demand. They found that by comparison to LA’s supply, Mammoth’s sum of water hardly seems worth a fight.
LADWP apparently disagrees. They have filed two lawsuits against Mammoth’s Water District – one challenges the rights to Mammoth Creek and the other attacks Mammoth’s Urban Water Manage Plan. Mammoth Water District’s General Manager Greg Norby looked at LA’s Urban Water Management Plan and found figures that show a surplus for LA, even under dry year conditions.
Norby said, “Their surplus supply is between 120 and 360 times larger than the Mammoth community’s maximum annual use of Mammoth Creek supply, which is 2,760 acre feet.” LADWP’s water supply surplus, Norby said, is forecast at between 370,000 and 1 million acre feet under dry year conditions.
Put in other terms, figures in LA’s water plan show a surplus water supply, meaning water available in excess of demands, of 32% in multiple dry years and up to 81% surplus in average water year conditions. So, with this much margin, why pick on Mammoth? LADWP says they don’t comment on pending suits.
MCWD Manager Norby also points out that LADWP’s Water Plan calls for recycled water that will make up about 1% of the City’s water supply. In 20 years, recycled will account for 4%. By contrast, Mammoth Lakes will meet 15% of its water supply with recycled water.
Settlement talks will take place March 28th in Los Angeles. LADWP refused to put its suits on hold during negotiations.
LA is not going to give an inch on this issue of Mammoth Creek. They will never give up until they have ALL the water!! These are not nice people and they really don’t care what happens in the Eastern Sierra, no matter what they say. They would rather dump… Read more »
Here’s a simple idea. If there is surplus water — where does it go? L.A. can’t continue to fill their reservoirs with it if it’s truly surplus — their reservoirs would overflow. I can only assume that they are dumping surplus water into the sewer system and eventually into the… Read more »
They had so much inside info its not even funny. Lippincott had some farmers under the impression they were selling land cause BOR was doing a study on water in valley. He worked for BOR so he also had inside scoop on the individuals of who to buy land from… Read more »
Don’t let anybody tell you that the drying up of Owens Lake is part of a natural process. And don’t let anybody tell you that the greater good is served by destroying the Owens Valley. Conservation of water, recycling and water desalinization plants along the coast could reduce the need… Read more »
Hey Ken LADWP isn’t interested in anything but getting all the water they can from their cheapest water source; The Owen’s Valley. I don’t like it, but I also don’t see it ever changing. The bottom line is it’s about money. LADWP has other options they just don’t like the… Read more »
All true. But I think the OV can find redress. It would just take smarter, stronger people. Which I can’t figure out why we don’t have those kind of people in our local government. Maybe Benett should run for supervisor of Inyo.
Ken, the Owens Valley has been drying up for eons, this used to be part of a vast sea in ancient times. But, the fact also remains, as well, LA is drying it up at a much higher rate, than nature is.
Of course, but in 1913 when the aqueduct was finished, it was a navigable lake with ferries transporting goods and materials between Keeler and Cartago. In 1926 — 13 years later — it was dry. That not the natural process. Go to Mono Lake Park on the North side of… Read more »
Mammoth Town should fight this case based on “Riparian Rights” ie. ” surface water is to be used for the benefit of the land it passes over and then what is not used to sustain life and vegetation is to be returned to the water conduit for the next user… Read more »