The Owens Valley Committee

We watch the water

Welcome to OVC Web

The Owens Valley Committee is a non-profit citizen action group dedicated to the protection, restoration, and sustainable management of Owens Valley natural resources, especially water.  The Committee monitors compliance with and implementation of water management agreements, educates the public, encourages participation in local government, and advocates an inclusive and open decision-making process.

OVC is a party to the 1997 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that established the goals and objectives of the Lower Owens River Project.

ACTION ITEM: Oppose industrial-scale solar in Owens Valley!

Not content with drying up Owens Valley, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is now proposing to install the valley's first industrial-scale solar facility at one of the most scenic and historic parts of the valley. Over two square miles at the base of the Inyo Mountains Wilderness across from Manzanar will be bulldozed, bladed, and covered with photovoltaic solar panels. Meanwhile, rooftops in Los Angeles (which could produce far more electricity) are unused. The project's draft EIR is available here (select Southern Owens Valley Solar Ranch). Comment deadline is October 18, 2013. Email comments to Charles.Holloway@ladwp.com and Nadia.Parker@ladwp.com. Comment deadline has been extended a second time to December 20, 2013. Email comments to Charles.Holloway@ladwp.com and Nadia.Parker@ladwp.com. Comments submitted by the Owens Valley Committee are available here.

Equally (if not more) effective will be letters sent directly to incoming LA Mayor Eric Garcetti (mayor.garcetti@lacity.org) and incoming Chairman of the Board of Water and Power Commissioners, Mel Levine. They need to be reminded that Owens Valley has already sacrificed far more than its share for the growth of Los Angeles. LA should work toward self-sufficiency rather than increasing its dependence on owens Valley resources.

Mel Levine
Los Angeles Department of
Water and Power
Room 1555-H, 15th Floor 
111 North Hope Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Help OVC fund Slake

2013 is the centennial of the Los Angeles Aqueduct. While DWP is planning numerous celebrations and commemorations, OVC is trying to fund a series of videos documenting what has really happened in Owens Valley. The videos will be produced by Bristlecone Media, an award-winning production company based in Bishop. Click on the Slakeimage (to the right) to see a teaser and donate to OVC below to help fund this important project.


News (Click listing for details, go to News for more listings, or download our most recent newsletter.)

6/11/2013   OVC newsletter available
5/26/2013   OVC leaves Owens Lake Planning Committee
5/16/2013   Eden Interrupted: Historical perspectives on Owens Valley agriculture
4/14/2013   DWP's Marty Adams to again speak to Inyo Supervisors
4/7/2013   OVC story on KCET
4/3/2013   DWP abandons Owens Lake Master Plan negotiations
2/18/2013   Comments on dust control measures DEIR due March 18, 2013
2/8/2013   Idle No More picketing of LA Aqueduct Centennial commemoration
3/2/2012   Ripples: news in brief from the Owens Valley Committee
12/15/2011   Metabolic Studio will match your donation
Southern California's unquenchable thirst affects rural northern California as well as Owens Valley. OVC supports the work of the AquAlliance to protect the northern Sacramento River watershed.

 

OVC Events

Inyo County Water Calendar

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