LORP Draft EIR/EIS Issue: 

Size of Pump Station and Delta Flows

Explanation and overview

Insist on a 50 cfs pump station and 9 cfs baseflows to the Owens River delta: LADWP’s chief purpose in the eastern Sierra is the export of water to LA.  LADWP agreed to a maximum 50 cfs capacity pump station in 1991 to alleviate Owens Valley residents' fears that they would use the LORP to export more groundwater.  In the DEIR/EIS project description, LADWP proposes to triple the size of that pump station, in violation of the 1991 Water Agreement.

The larger pump station would provide LADWP with the opportunity to export more groundwater.  The EPA has already determined that unless LADWP intends to increase groundwater pumping, a larger pump station is not economically or environmentally justified.  LADWP has already hired a consultant to explore more groundwater pumping, but asks the public to simply trust them not to use the larger pump station to export more water.

Furthermore, under the LADWP proposal, flows to the delta will be much lower than they have been over the past decade or more.  Lower flows may not maintain existing delta habitats and are unlikely to create new habitats as required by the LORP goals.  They will damage the area just below the delta, within an Audubon Society Nationally Significant Important Bird Area.  A larger pump station would significantly worsen this problem by eliminating seasonal habitat flows to the river delta.

To avoid the possibility of more groundwater pumping, avoid damage to the delta, and encourage creation of new delta habitats as required, demand implementation of the smaller 50 cfs pump station alternative and the highest possible annual average delta baseflows of 9 cfs.

Sample Statement

Size of the pump station and delta flows:  A 150 cfs pump station violates the Inyo-LA 1991 Water Agreement.  LADWP has not justified using a larger pump station that is three times larger than the water agreement allows.  A larger pump station won't allow enough water to reach the delta and may help LADWP to pump more groundwater from the valley.  LADWP should select the 50 cfs pump station and 9 cfs annual average delta baseflows.  This option allows the maximum amount of water flow to the delta under the agreements and approaches current flows.  This is needed to meet the delta habitat goal of maintaining existing and new delta habitats for waterfowl and to comply with the water agreement.