Water Fights

We've been through Owens Valley, California, a few times traveling to and from the SW on US395.  And each time we've heard that the area used to be known for it's agriculture and fruit trees until Los Angeles stole all the water.  Did a little more research this time.  The Owens River is the watershed for the Eastern Sierras.  The city of Los Angeles owns 300,000 acres of the Owens River Valley.

 

In 1905 an agricultural developer laid piping and built canals in the Manzanar area of the Owens Valley, planting thousands of fruit trees.  

 

At the same time, Los Angeles was growing -- and the city fathers realized they would need more water for their citizens.  President Theodore Roosevelt gave his blessing to the city plan to divert all the water from the Owens River to the city, espousing the philosophy of the greatest good to the greatest number.

 

To secure the funds to build the aqueduct, a $25,000,000 bond issue was put on the ballot. There was a great deal of litigation and backroom wheeling and dealing and complaints by Owens Valley settlers that their water supply was unfairly, if not illegally, being taken from them.  The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the City's water utility then created an artificial water famine -- some claim that the City dumped its water reserves into the sewer system at night.  Why, LA's water supply became so scarce that, on the eve of the election, the city passed an ordinance forbidding people to water their lawns and gardens.  Gol-lee!!  Needless to say, the bond passed. 

 

The orginal aqueduct was finished in 1913 and picked up the water from Lone Pine (123 miles from LA) south causing the Owens Lake to go dry.  During the 1920's, the aqueduct was bombed a dozen times by unhappy valley residents.   To no avail -- Owens Lake had dried to an alkali dust bowl.

 

But LA needed more water.

 

In 1923 Los Angeles commenced a policy of buying more Owens Valley farms.   By 1927 all land and water rights in Manzanar (160 miles from LA) were owned by LA, and any water previously used by those properties was sent down the lengthened aquaduct.  By 1934, there was no more community of Manzanar - there was no water. 

 

But LA needed more water.  

 

Further north, Los Angeles became involved in another bitter dispute. The city purchased the land (and the water) in the streams flowing into Mono lake, diverted that, and constructed another extension to the aqueduct.  Lawsuits flew.

Completed in 1941, the Mono Lake (280 miles from LA) aqueduct extension fed more water to the thirsty city. But it also meant that Mono Lake would slowly decline. By the late 1970s it was 40 feet below its 1941 level.  Us travelers were fascinated by the lake with the tufa (weird limestone rock) formations sticking out of the low water. 

In 1970, a 2nd aqueduct was built.  ALL the feeds to the Owens River were diverted and vegetation in the valley began to die.  Again, area residents and environmentalists took Los Angeles to court and raised public attention. The city lost one legal ruling after another throughout the 1980's.  LA and Inyo County finally reached an accommodation promoting a "new science".  LA would "re-water" the valley.   The LA Department of Water and Power would actively support recreational development in the Owens Valley as replacement for the loss of the ranching and farming economy.  Property is now leased to ranchers for pastoral use.  Water is released back into the valley from the aqueduct to re-create the Owens River and Lake, the timing and amounts released to coincide with historical runoffs.  LA Water is working the problem but they've missed 3 deadlines so far.  It's a work in progress -- things are greener, river fishing is returning, but Owens Lake is only damp. 

Now what should we say when LA again requests water sent down from the Columbia River? 

We are reminded of the winter the NW shipped power to California and we in the NW were requested to not light Christmas lights.  We traveled south and we were dismayed to see the number of ornamental public light displays in southern California.  No good deed goes unpunished.