The Juniper for May 2021 | Friends of the Inyo

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Hello,

In this issue of The Juniper, we share updates concerning the Conglomerate Mesa and Keep Long Valley Green campaigns. K2 Gold's phase two exploration continues to threaten the Mesa's future. And LADWP indicates that it will only provide a minimal amount of water to Long Valley this summer.

Also, the comment period for proposed mining in Long Valley has been extended but ends on Thursday, the 13th. Be sure to submit your comments by then. Finally, learn about a showing of Paya: The Water Story of the Paiute, happening on May 25th. I hope you enjoy this month's issue of The Juniper.

Sincerely,

Kyle Hamada
Communications Director

Earth Day Clean-Up Event with Inyo350 a Success

On Saturday, April 24th, over 50 volunteers came together in Bishop to celebrate Earth Day, give back, and pick up trash. Inyo350, the Sierra Trash Eliminators, Eastern Sierra Land Trust, Eastern Sierra Interpretive Association, and Friends of the Inyo joined forces to provide trash-grabbers, trash bags, gloves, safety vests, and plenty of good cheer to make sure the volunteers who joined the fun were fully equipped and ready to go. Read more about the Earth Day event in Alex's blog post.

K2 ramping up for their much more destructive second phase of exploration at Conglomerate Mesa

As the season for visiting Conglomerate Mesa is on its way out, the future of the Mesa remains in limbo. K2 Gold and Mojave Precious Metals are ramping up for their much more destructive second phase of exploration at Conglomerate Mesa. With proposed impacts amounting to 12.2 acres, 61-times greater as compared to 0.2 acres from their phase one exploration, we are also concerned about heavy-duty equipment and the proposed roads. Read Bryan's full update in his blog post.

Keep Long Valley Green Campaign Update

In late April, DWP indicated by correspondence that it will provide a minimal amount of water for irrigation in Long Valley this year.

In early April, the KLVG campaign submitted official comments on DWP’s Urban Water Management Plan pointing out that the data provided by DWP in its draft plan indicates that it is possible for the agency to meet the water demands of its ratepayers and drastically reduce, or even eliminate, reliance on water exported from the Eastern Sierra over the next 25 years. In spite of this, the agency’s draft plan indicates only a de minimus reduction in planned water exports from our area in the coming decades. The coalition is now working on official comments regarding the agency’s Bi-State Sage Grouse Adaptive Management Plan. The focus of the KLVG comments will be to clarify that the small amount of water DWP seems to believe is necessary to maintain a healthy Sage Grouse population in Long Valley certainly will not suffice to maintain a healthy ecosystem in Long Valley. The coalition continues to seek an agreement from DWP for the provision of water every year pursuant to the application of a formula based on each year’s snowpack.

Learn More

Mining Exploration Threatens Long Valley

Kore Mining proposes to construct a total of fourteen drilling pads, measuring 30 feet by 50 feet each. Access to these drill pads will require re-opening roughly a third of a mile of road for the duration of the project. Impacts of this proposed project include local quality of life, tourism, air quality, noise pollution, decimated habitat of local flora and fauna (including the at-risk sage grouse and local mule deer). The impacts of the exploration might be only the beginning, however. If the company finds a sufficient quantity of gold to mine, that activity could affect important habitats, create long-lasting water pollution issues, and forever scar Long Valley. Finally, the struggle for water in the area doesn’t allow for further demand to support mining in the area as well.

Submit your comments by May 13th

Submit Comments

May 27th, 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM

Paya Film Showing and Panel Discussion

Teri Red Owl, Executive Director of the Owens Valley Indian Water Commission and member of the Inyo County Water Comission, is hosting a viewing of the film Paya: The Water Story of the Paiute, followed by a panel discussion on more of the water story in the Owens Valley.

Paya: The Water Story of the Paiute tells the untold story of America’s longest lived water war between the Owens Valley Paiute and the city of Los Angeles. Using in-depth interviews, 2-d animation, archival footage and photography, Paya documents the history of the Owens Valley Paiute who constructed and managed sixty square miles of intricate irrigation systems for millennia, long before Los Angeles diverted the Owens River through the Los Angeles Aqueduct, 220 miles across the Mojave Desert. After the Indian War of 1863, surviving Paiute returned to the valley from the Eastern Sierra and White Mountains to find their ancient waterworks taken over by white settlers. Over 150-years later, the Paiute continue the fight to save their waterworks, which are remnant in the Owens Valley landscape. Using archival maps from 1856, the filmmakers spent four years working with Paiute elders to locate and map their remnant irrigation systems using GIS technology, ultimately laying the foundation for a ‘first use’ water rights case now underway. Paya is currently being used by the Owens Valley Paiute and the Native American and academic communities nationally to mobilize tribes.

Learn More

Reminder: New Office Location

I'd like to remind you that we have moved from our previous location on Barlow Lane to a new downtown office on West Line Street. Please also take a moment to update our address in your contact records so that all donations and correspondence will go to the right address.