Archive for date: March 11th, 2015

This past weekend, I journeyed to Owens Valley to see first had the impacts of water management practices on society and the ecosystem. The valley has served as an important source of water for the city of Los Angeles since the construction of the aqueduct in the beginning of the twentieth century. Moving water from the valley was controversial, and local opposition culminated in attempted dynamiting of the aqueduct in 1927. Since then, water management in the area has been a source of contention between LA Department of Water and Power, the Inyo County Water District and the Paiute Tribe native to the area. Below is an account of my time in Owens Valley.

The first stop in our field trip was Owens Lake, which looks less like a lake and more like the surface of the moon. Meeting with the Department of Water and Power introduces one central perspective of water usage in the area. Owens Lake was drained early in the twentieth century after the construction of the LA aqueduct, a monument to the human engineering. Evident from the dry, saline lakebed, the construction of the aqueduct has devastated the environment. The dry lakebed creates a huge problem that the city of Los Angeles is now responsible to mitigate: dust and particulate matter. To keep the dust down “bubblers” are employed to re-water the lake. Water is taken from elsewhere in the valley and sprinkled in pools and onto the lake bed. The intention here is to create habitat for birds, as the lake is an important stop for migratory fowl. DWP claims that more water is poured onto the lake than is transported to Los Angeles. Before we departed, a flock of avocets disturbed by a harrier took flight from the surface of a pond. As the birds changed direction, the color of the flock flickered back and forth from black to white. The spectacle, something that birdwatchers would travel great distances to witness, was something to behold. The main takeaway from the lake tour: the ecosystem can be drastically impacted from human interference, and mismanagement can devastate important communities.

In contrast with the optimism heard from DWP, a presentation from Daniel Pritchett of the Owens Water Committee discussed the failures of water management practices in the Owens Valley. The talk began with the history of the LA aqueduct, Mulholland and the Water Wars of 1927. But in the discussion of justice for local farmers or the utilitarianism of the aqueduct, the group overlooked is the native Paiutes. Where is justice for them? Locals had the water taken from them by LA, but the locals took it from the Paiute. A different perspective to be sure. The talk also discussed the Owens Valley Meadow System, a vanished ecosystem that thrived when the water table was higher. Due to the geologic nature of the valley, the water table might experience seasonal changes, but is capable of saving water in the alluvium at the foot of the mountain preventing total loss during drought. DWP might say otherwise, but the current lack of water is not due to drought but extraction. The recent joint management plan has been hailed as revolutionary by DWP, but is really just causing gridlock when the two parties cannot reach a compromise. The only hope, according to Daniel, is the voice of the Paiute Tribe on the Water Council. Is it realistic that the voice of the native tribe will be heeded? Time will tell, but this is an important step in the right direction for Owens Valley.

The Rush Creek Hydroelectric Project is another example of human ingenuity and environmental impacts. The dam also exemplifies the often arbitrary nature of political decisions. According to California State law, 33% of energy must come from “renewable” sources. So what constitutes a renewable source of energy? According to Jeremy Finker, our tour guide of the dam, a hydro plant producing 28 megawatts or less is “small hydro” and is a renewable resource. Anything larger is non-renewable. This is a completely arbitrary number. The dam is also an example of complex decisions that water companies have to face. Built too close for comfort near a fault line, the antiquated dams that feed the station will crumble when the next earthquake strikes. The company must choose between shelling out more than $60 million dollars to reinforce the dams or demolish them. However, removing the dams will dramatically alter the hydrology of the area. No dams means no control of floods, and that could mean devastation downstream. The tour of the hydroelectric facility was fascinating from an engineering standpoint, especially considering that the machinery is nearly a century old (as well as most of the safety measures!)

Owens Valley is a spectacular place to study geology, and travelling with an expert in geomorphology is a great way to learn about the processes that created the magnificent landscape. On our way to June Mountain, Dr. O’Hirok describe the glacial processes that sculpted the Sierra Nevadas. A sure sign of glacial activity are the hills at the base of these mountains, called moraines. Deposited over time by melting glaciers, the moraines have flat, elongated ridges along their peaks in contrast to the uneven eroded tops of the Sierras. Of the glacial events in the past, of which there may be as many as seven, the most recient occurred in the Pleistocene, approx. 11,000 ybp. The glaciers carve U-shaped valleys in the mountains, easily seen form the valley floor. Other aspects of the valley include alluvial fans, aretes, erratics and Tarn lakes, each feature can be seen during the drive. The journey to Mammoth will likely never be the same again!

As emphasized during Daniel Pritchett’s talk, the Paiute have a long history in the valley, and this history can be told through an ethnobotanical tour of native plants in Owens Valley. COSA, the Conservation Open Space Area, was developed to give visitors a place to learn about native plants and how the Paiute used them for food, structures and medicine. Walking through the open space, it is apparent that the landscape is extremely dry. Is this how a healthy ecosystem should look? Invasive species, like blackberry bush and pepper weed, are another problem in the area as they outcompete rare, endemic species. Some of the goals established by COSA are to reduce invasives and propogate endemics, while creating a suitable habitat for the Owens Valley pupfish. As an endangered species, the pupfish is difficult to obtain a permit to cultivate. If the fish were to escape the pond in COSA and make it into the DWP water, Los Angeles would have to take steps to prevent loss of the fish.

The last major stop on our trip was Mono Lake. As a terminal lake, all water that drains into the lake has nowhere to go. As the lake evaporates, ions are left behind in the water. Over time, this process has led to an increase in the salinity, pH (9.8, almost 100 times as alkaline as the ocean) and other chemical concentrations, including arsenic! The salinity of the lake increase the buoyancy of anything floating in it, an effect that I was able to experience firsthand when I took a swim in the freezing water. One might think that the alkaline water might be inhospitable to life, but a hidden jungle can be found in the lake if one knows what to look for. Algae is extremely productive, which in turn supports brine shrimp and fly larvae that provide a food source for local birds. Geology of the lake is intriguing as well. When calcium from underwater springs mixes with carbonate in the water, a chalky white precipitate is formed: calcium carbonate. The precipitate settles on the lake bed, and over time forms pillars of solid rock called tufa, found all over the shores and in the lake. Water level has far receded from historical levels, a fact that is evident in the tufa far from the current shore. This is largely due to extraction by LA, and drought. The goal of restoration efforts is to raise the lake another thirteen feet, which will be an enormous boon to the riparian areas of Mono’s tributaries, which are heavily impaired from drought and historical floods. Mono Lake is unique from a water management perspective, in that it is one of the few places in California with a specific water plan. If the lake falls another two feet, all diversions must cease. Noting the ecological value of a place and not simply the monetary value of the resources it holds, gives me hope that our view of nature is shifting towards a more ethical treatment of the biota and landscape we inhabit.