Our overriding goal is simple: for LADWP to provide a binding yearly water supply (adjusted for precipitation) for Long Valley and Little Round Valley, at a certain date. So far, the agency has refused to even consider making this reasonable commitment – even though its usual practice prior to 2018 was to adjust the amount of irrigation water provided to the area based on each year’s unique snowpack. It is both fair and feasible to follow this method in perpetuity. Just as importantly, it cannot be a token amount – we seek a significant decrease in water being exported from the Eastern Sierra over the next decade, as it is quite literally the lifeblood of our region.
In the broader sense, we seek to work together with LADWP as a partner, not a vassal. We are confident that a mutually beneficial solution is within reach – one in which L.A. can meet all of its water needs AND significantly reduce water exports from the Eastern Sierra. For far too long, residents of southern Mono County and the rest of the Eastern Sierra have not had a voice in LADWP decision-making, even though all aspects of their wellbeing are at stake. Ranchers used to be treated more as partners – useful, reliable stewards of the land – and we want that dynamic restored. The coalition seeks an open, cooperative partnership with LADWP moving forward.
Mono County Responds to LADWP Sage Grouse “Plan”