Inyo Water Commission urges LADWP pumping cut to 46,540 acre‑feet; board backs recommendation 3–2

The Inyo County Board of Supervisors on April 28 accepted the Inyo County Water Commission’s recommendation (3–2) asking the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) to reduce its 2026–27 draft pumping plan to 46,540 acre‑feet and to provide a clearer, parcel‑level explanation of how pumped water will be used in each well field.

Water Department Director Holly Albert presented Inyo County’s technical review of LADWP’s draft operations plan and flagged a year‑over‑year valley‑wide groundwater decline in indicator wells (about 0.5–0.7 feet) and a set of vegetation parcels that have been chronically below the baseline used in the long‑term water agreement. Albert walked the board through how the department models groundwater impacts by well field and explained why the department recommended targeted reductions in Laws, Taboose/Aberdeen and Sim Shepard well fields.

Paul Hewitt, chair of the Inyo County Water Commission, described how commissioners combined public input and technical analysis to arrive at a total recommended cap of 46,540 acre‑feet — a figure that reduces pumping in the problem well fields to levels commissioners judged sufficient for local uses and vegetation needs.

The public record and nearly three hours of public testimony were dominated by requests for stronger county action to protect vegetation and springs. Tribal representatives, conservationists, ranchers and town residents urged the board to press LADWP to (a) remove certain proposed well tests or wells (Well 416, Well 386 and proposed Bishop wells B2/B5) from the operations plan, (b) prioritize full vegetation‑impact analyses for parcels that have repeatedly failed to reach baseline, and (c) resume cooperative technical studies and a revision of the on/off management approach used to guide pumping decisions.

"We have 18 parcels that have not been brought back to baseline conditions — that is the sign of a system in decline," said Paul Hewitt. "We ask the board to adopt our recommended pumping number and demand clearer justification for any planned pumping in those well fields."

Board members debated approach and timing. Some supervisors said the county should push for the Water Commission number immediately; others urged the board to adopt the Water Department’s slightly higher technical recommendation or to give staff more time to produce a prioritized analysis of at‑risk parcels and the resources required to complete full green‑book analyses. After discussion, the board approved the Water Commission recommendation as the county’s formal comment to LADWP (3 in favor, 2 opposed). The board also directed county staff to:

- prepare a prioritized list of vegetation parcels that are below baseline and estimate staff time/resources required for full causal analysis; and - prepare a short historical review of cooperative studies and on/off program work to help the technical group and standing committee resume those conversations.

Next steps: county staff will file formal comments with LADWP, participate in the technical group meeting (scheduled in the first ten days after the county response), and continue standing‑committee engagement. LADWP will consider the county’s written recommendation and any technical‑group outcomes before finalizing its operations plan.

Why it matters: The annual operations plan determines in‑valley pumping and export volumes. The county’s recommended cap and requests for parcel‑level justification are intended to prioritize groundwater‑dependent vegetation and local water uses under the long‑term water agreement.