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Owens Valley Groundwater Authority: county staff to submit Fish Slough subbasin plan; 27% of wells registered so far
Summary
Inyo County water staff briefed the board on the Owens Valley Groundwater Authority annual meeting agenda, including a plan to submit a previously omitted Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) portion for the Fish Slough subbasin and an update that about 27% of wells eligible under the county well-registration ordinance have registered.
Holly Alpert, Inyo County water director, briefed the Board of Supervisors on the Owens Valley Groundwater Authority (OVGA) agenda for its annual meeting and requested any board direction ahead of the Thursday session.
Alpert told the board the OVGA will consider updates to its conflict-of-interest code, a modest increase in staff-service rates to the OVGA (to reflect a county compensation study), and the FY 2025-26 draft annual budget. She said the OVGA currently holds about $260,000 and that the next year's draft budget is roughly $80,000; the authority will need to consider how to sustain operations beyond that balance.
Fish Slough GSP submission Alpert said the county will submit the Fish Slough subbasin portion of the Owens Valley Groundwater Basin Groundwater Sustainability Plan to the State; the Fish Slough portion was part of the 2022 GSP scope but was omitted from the state portal by oversight. "We're now trying to rectify that, and we were informed by the state that it wasn't submitted for that subbasin," Alpert said. Alpert told the board the Mono County portion of Fish Slough contains the springs and most potential management actions; Inyo is submitting to correct the public record and ensure planning continuity.
Well-registration ordinance and outreach The OVGA agenda includes a status update on the county's well-registration ordinance, which requires registration for groundwater wells pumping more than two acre-feet per year. Alpert told the board: "Just for your board's information, we've gotten about 27% of wells that are eligible to register registered." The authority will discuss outreach and enforcement strategies at its meeting and may seek direction on whether to increase outreach or consider enforcement measures.
Annual report and five-year planning The OVGA will open a 30-day public comment period on its draft annual report for water year 2023 and expects to contract for consulting support to prepare a five-year periodic evaluation of the Groundwater Sustainability Plan (due in 2027). Alpert said the authority plans to budget consultant work in 2025-26 to prepare for that periodic evaluation.
What the board asked for Supervisors asked clarifying questions about whether the Fish Slough submission affects the county's GSP prioritization and about the regional roles of Mono County and the OVGA regarding springs and endangered-species issues. Alpert said the Fish Slough submission should not change Inyo County's basin prioritization and that management actions would be taken by the agency responsible for the portions where springs and species of concern occur.
Next steps Alpert said she will present the OVGA draft items on Thursday and that staff will return to the board as needed after the OVGA meeting and after the public comment period on the annual report concludes.
