A new Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Aqueduct Manager will take over the Eastern Sierra headquarters soon. DWP confirmed the report that James G. Yannotta, Assistant Director of Water Resources in Los Angeles, will come up to the Bishop office in early April to start the transition. He will take over July 1.
Current and long time Aqueduct Manager Gene Coufal will retire sometime after that date. DWP Public Information Officer Chris Plakos is familiar with Yannotta, who he says has climbed Mt. Whitney five times, enjoys mountain biking and hiking.
Yannotta has been described as a people person. In Los Angeles, he has handled recycled water programs and conservation efforts. In his role as Aqueduct Manager here, Yannotta will take over the task of extracting as much water as possible from the underground while continuing to divert all surface water.
The Inyo-Los Angeles Long Term Water Agreement only deals with groundwater. DWP sets a yearly pumping plan and Inyo County agrees or not. In 2011, Inyo did not agree, but the Inyo Supervisors declined to carry out a full dispute over the pumping amount.
Most expect dispute is likely this year in the face of what appears to be a drought. LADWP likes to raise the pumping rate in dry years to make up for what they don’t get from snow melt.
Can we safely say ” Yanotta gonna stand in LA’s way” when they’re getting the water?
Don’t let the door hit you in the …!
How many times does DWP think they can change the players without us noticing? They keep putting new people in place, who don’t know anything, so they have to “come up to speed”, meanwhile stalling any movement on the work that needs to be done to be in compliance with… Read more »
Um no Chris, Gene is retiring, isn’t getting promoted or moved somewhere. That has nothing to do with anything, this new person is taking his place. No musical chairs here.
Go home!
I really think that Mr Yannotta should stay in LA and work on pumping the recycled water into the citys water system, thus eliminatng the need for owens valley water. And this quote reallys say it all, ” Yannotta will take over the task of extracting as much water as… Read more »
Yeah that news story was very interesting, in that, one quote stated he is seen as a people person, then that quote Tim …
” Yannotta will take over the task of extracting as much water as possible from the underground while continuing to divert all surface water”.
Welcome to Mammoth now please never come here again… Thanks for taking all the water.