Inyo County’s Review of LADWP Mitigation

In its 1991 environmental impact report, LADWP identified numerous areas in the Owens Valley that were adversely affected by groundwater pumping or other activities from 1970 to 1990. The EIR commits LADWP to mitigate these impacts by establishing pasturelands, supplying water to create wildlife habitats, and planting native vegetation. The following is a brief review of the status of these mitigation measures by the Inyo County Water Department (ICWD).

Laws/Poleta NativePasture E/M (216 acres)	Annually provide water to about 220 acres in two locations to enhance and maintain existing vegetation and increase livestock grazing capacities while continuing the activity that caused the impact.	Although these pastures are irrigated, large areas have low vegetation cover. ICWD recommends that the water supply to these pastures be evaluated.
McNally Ponds andNative Pasture E/M(348 acres)	Create waterfowl habitat by providing water to ponds Sept.–Jan. Enhance and maintain existing vegetation and increase livestock grazing capacities by irrigating about 200 acres of native pasture and 100 acres of native vegetation.	Partially completed. Ponds west of Hwy 6 have not received water annually during the waterfowl season. Pastures on the east side of the river are completed.
640 Acres Near Laws	Standing Committee to consider revegetating with non-groundwater dependent native plants and continuing the activity that caused impact.	The Standing Committee has not evaluated the need for mitigation.

Five Bridges Area(300 acres)	Manage pumping to restore water table levels, supply surface water, and restore meadow and riparian vegetation through active revegetation. Inyo and LA responsible for plan development and implementation.	Mitigation has not been implemented by LADWP as described in the mitigation plan. ICWD recommended revisions to the plan, but no action has been taken. Also, ICWD believes an impacted area north of Owens River requires mitigation, but mitigation of the area has not been approved by the Technical Group.
Farmers Pond	Provide wet habitat by maintaining operation of seasonal pond.	ICWD recommends an operations plan be developed to better track compliance with the EIR.
140 Acres Near Laws	Native plant revegetation.	ICWD recommends amending the mitigation plan to include a 10-acre study plot in lieu of planting container plants over a larger area.
Laws Museum Pastures E/M (21 & 15 acres)	Enhance the museum grounds by irrigating pastures east and west of museum.	Not completed. These pastures do not currently receive irrigation water.
Laws Area	Monitor and reduce groundwater pumping where suspected impacts have occurred. Mitigate according to the Water Agreement, if necessary.	County and LADWP disagree about effects of groundwater pumping and the operation of the McNally canals to avoid impacts to vegetation. ICWD annually monitors vegetation cover on approximately 20 parcels in the Laws area.
Millpond Recreation Area	Pay costs of running well to provide water to pond and thus create wet habitat.	Ongoing.
Buckley Ponds	Provide habitat for warm-water fishery and waterfowl by maintaining a year-round pond.	ICWD recommends an operations plan be developed to better track compliance with the EIR.
120 Acres Near Bishop	Revegetate with non-groundwater dependent native vegetation.	The site was fenced to reduce disturbance and increase native vegetation recruitment and survival. Vegetation will be sampled in 2003 to determine whether active revegetation is needed.
Saunders Pond	Provide wet habitat by maintaining operation of year-round pond.	ICWD recommends an operations plan be developed to better track compliance with the EIR.
Klondike Lake	Improve waterfowl habitat and provide recreational opportunities in the Big Pine area.	The water supply to this project was reduced from the planned amount. A waterfowl nesting and feeding habitat area along the south shoreline has not been supplied with water.
Big Pine Northeast Regreening E/M (30 acres)	Manage pumping in accordance with Agreement, establish irrigated crop.	Not implemented. ICWD recommends a mitigattion plan be developed and the project be implemented as required by the MOU.
Big Pine Ditch System	Establish/restore ditch system through Big Pine.	Evaluation of water supply for the ditch system is underway.
20 Acres Near Big PineE/M	Establish irrigated crop while continuing the activity that caused the impact.	Not implemented. ICWD recommends a mitigattion plan be developed as required by the MOU.
160 Acres Near Big Pine	Continue activity that caused impact and revegetate with non-groundwater dependent native species.	Revegetation behind schedule. Test plots scheduled for 2001 have not been implemented.
Steward Ranch	Compensation agreement with ranch owner.	Mitigation agreement is in place.
Big Pine general	Valley-wide mitigation through the Water Agreement.	Groundwater management under the Water Agreement was implemented in 1989.
Fish Springs	CDFG fish hatchery and the LORP serve as compensatory mitigation.	Hatchery in place and LORP Final EIR/EIS in preparation.
Tule Elk Field	Provide water in summer to field near Tinemaha Reservoir used by Tule Elk.	ICWD recommends an operations plan be developed to better track compliance with the EIR.
Big and Little Seely	Provide waterfowl and shorebird habitat by maintaining year-round pond.	ICWD recommends an operations plan be developed to better track compliance with the EIR.

Calvert Slough	Maintain small pond and marsh.	ICWD recommends an operations plan be developed to better track compliance with the EIR.
Hines Spring	Create 1-2 acres of aquatic, riparian, and marshland habitats. Project will serve as a restoration research project. Manage pumping according to the Water Agreement.	Behind schedule. The MOU required plan and schedule in 2001. ICWD commented on draft reports released in Sep./Dec. 2000. Completion date for revised draft report unknown.
Taboose/Hines Spring Area (80 acres)	Manage pumping and revegetate with native species.	Impact area consists of 3 sites totaling about 115 acres. Tin 54 (0.3 acres): 108 alkali sacaton plants were planted in 1999 and irrigated every growing season. LADWP’s irrigation plans for 2003 growing season are unknown. Monitoring of grass survival is ongoing. Blk 16E (7.2 acres): Monitoring indicates active revegetation not yet necessary. However, vegetation will be re-sampled in 2005. Hines Sp S. (about 100 acres): Plan and schedule for area is linked to implementation of the Hines Spring restoration project. Thus, there has been a delay in implementation of mitigation here (see Hines Spring above).
Little Blackrock Spring	Water provided to maintain pond at original spring site.	ICWD recommends an operations plan be developed to better track compliance with the EIR.
Big Blackrock Springs	CDFG fish hatchery and the LORP serve as compensatory mitigation.	Fish hatchery in place; final LORP EIR/EIS in preparation.
Thibaut/Sawmill Marsh Habitat	Blackrock Waterfowl component of LORP will provide compensatory and some on-site mitigation. Vegetation impacts will be mitigated under the Water Agreement	Final LORP EIR/EIS in preparation.
Independence Pasturelands E/M (460 acres)	Develop irrigated pasture or alfalfa fields.	Ongoing.
Billy Lake	Maintain wet habitat.	This project is a component of the LORP; final LORP EIR/EIS in preparation.
Independence East Side Regreening E/M (30 acres)	Manage groundwater pumping and establish irrigated crop.	Pumping managed by Water Agreement. Regreening project has not been implemented. ICWD recommends a mitigation plan be developed and the project be implemented as required by the MOU.
Independence Woodlot E/M (21 acres)	Create irrigated crop.	ICWD recommends an operations plan be developed to include existing management guidelines. LADWP not following management guidelines for site maintenance and tree harvesting.
Independence Springfield E/M (283 acres)	Manage groundwater pumping and establish native pasture or alfalfa.	Project in place, though irrigated pasture needs to be expanded to include about 40 acres that currently lack vegetative cover.
60 Acres in Symes/Shepherd Wellfield	Manage pumping according to the Agreement and supply water to restore vegetation to natural composition and cover through active revegetation.	Impact area consists of 3 sites totaling about 115.2 acres. Ind 105 (13.6 acres): At present, ICWD does not recommend active revegetation due to increase of native cover. The site will be re-sampled in 2006 to re-evaluate progress. Ind 131 (73.2 acres): vegetation test plots implemented in Dec. 2001 by a contractor. Ind 123 (28.4 acres): Behind schedule. Test plots scheduled for 2002 have not been implemented.
Shepherd Creek Alfalfa Field E/M (185 acres)	Manage groundwater pumping and establish irrigated crop on approx. 200 acres.	Cultivated crops maintained on 185 acres.

Expand Shepherd Creek Alfalfa E/M (60 acres)	Expand E/M project to east of Hwy 395 if vegetation cover in that area remains sparse.	No monitoring has occurred and no plan for this measure has been developed. The Standing Committee has not evaluated the need to implement this mitigation.
Reinhackle Spring	Manage groundwater pumping to avoid reductions in flow and monitor and maintain vegetation to avoid significant change or decrease as provided in the Water Agreement and the Green Book.	LADWP monitors flow from Reinhackle Spring. Spring-dependent vegetation is not monitored. The Technical Group is developing a monitoring protocol and interim management plan for the spring. Ecosystem Sciences completed a draft inventory of springs and seeps that may provide some baseline data (see page 13).
Lone Pine Ponds	Water provided via releases from Los Angeles aqueduct spillgates.	This project is a component of the LORP; final LORP EIR/EIS in preparation.
Lone Pine East Side Regreening E/M (11 acres)	Create irrigated pasture.	Irrigated pasture is being maintained.
Lone Pine Woodlot E/M (12 acres)	Revegetate and provide irrigation.	ICWD recommends an operations plan be developed to include existing management guidelines.
Richards Field E/M(189 acres)	Create irrigated pasture or alfalfa field.	Irrigated pasture is being maintained.
Van Norman Field E/M (171 acres)	Create irrigated pasture or alfalfa field.	A portion of the project is not capable of being irrigated. ICWD recommends this portion of the project be evaluated for possible revegetation.
Lone Pine West Regreening E/M (7 acres)	Create irrigated pasture.	Irrigated pasture is being maintained.
Diaz Lake	Provide supplemental water to recreation area and create wet habitat.	ICWD recommends an operations plan be developed to better track compliance with the EIR.
Lower OwensRewatering Project E/M	Re-water the Owens River to create wet habitat for wildlife. Project included off-river lakes and ponds.	Implemented in 1986. By agreement, flows were discontinued between Blackrock and Billy Lake in 1991 due to drought conditions. This project will be replaced by the LORP.
Lower OwensRiver Project	Re-water about 60 miles of Owens River channel. Project includes the delta habitat area, off-river lakes and ponds, and a 1500-acre waterfowl habitat area in the Blackrock area.	LORP EIR/EIS in preparation. MOU required establishment of river flow by June 13, 2003. Date for initiation of project uncertain.
Meadow and Riparian Vegetation Dependent onAgricultural Tailwater	LORP to serve as compensatory mitigation.	Final LORP EIR/EIS in preparation.
Saltcedar Invasion in Water Spreading Basins East of Independence	Implement saltcedar control program in accordance with the Water Agreement.	Program implemented in 1997. Continuation of saltcedar control program beyond Spring 2004 depends on acquisition of funding from sources other than Inyo County. Without continued funding, program will not address the areas impacted by water spreading.
Irrigated Fields,Including Cartago and Olancha	Continue irrigation practices that occurred in 1981-1982 or thereafter.	Some lands in the Laws area have not been irrigated for nearly 10 years. ICWD recommends Technical Group develop procedures to track compliance with this mitigation requirement.
Springs/Seeps	Monitor and maintain vegetation to avoid significant change or decrease as provided in the Water Agreement and the Green Book.	Ecosystem Sciences has completed a draft inventory of springs and seeps. When satisfactorily completed, the inventory will provide spring vegetation baseline data (see page 13).