How the Urban Water Management Plan can Keep Long Valley Green

Los Angeles is aggressively lowering their water consumption through successful conservation programs. We plan to advocate for these water savings to benefit Long Valley in the next water planning cycle.

What’s happening?

LADWP is updating their plans for urban water management. The Keep Long Valley Green consulting with experts and identifying key decision makers to ensure gains in conservation are applied to reduce water drained from the Eastern Sierra.

What we’re doing about it

The coalition water expert, Martha Davis, researched and compiled information, and the coalition sent a formal action alert available in the first week of April 2021.  We were proud to submit the abridged comment letter and full 11 page detailed analysis along with coalition partners.

Coalition goals

The UWMP is the blueprint that will guide Los Angeles’ future actions and investments. For this reason, the UWMP needs to be improved so that it:

  • Aligns with the City’s Sustainability pLAn specifically regarding, water efficiency, water recycling and distributed stormwater capture, water and climate equity, and
  • Reduces LA’s dependence on imported water supplies from the Eastern Sierra as well as from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD).

Partners

Cosigners on this letter include: Mono Lake Committee, LA Waterkeeper, Friends of the Inyo, Owens Valley Indian Water Commission, Mono Lake Kutzadika’a Tribe, Eastern Sierra Land Trust, Inyo County Cattlemen’s Association, Center for Biological Diversity, California Native Plant Society, Bristlecone Chapter; The River Project, Social Eco Education Amigos de los Rios, Death Valley Timbisha Shoshone Tribe, Eastern Sierra Audubon Society, Heal the Bay, Environmental Justice Coalition for Water, The Nature Conservancy, East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice

Please email Wendy@friendsoftheinyo.org with any questions.

“Ironically, the amount of water potentially to be gained by the City of Los Angeles as a result of removing historic irrigation in southern Mono County is but a tiny fraction of the City’s annual water needs. This water could be easily replaced through environmentally sound management and water supply practices, such as those described in Mayor Eric Garcetti’s LA’s Green New Deal Sustainability Plan 2019” -Mono County  Press Release 3/25/2021