IMP Amendment #2

Amendment #2 - The text of the document signed by Inyo and LADWP.

**Text below summarizes Amendment #2; extracted from the Agenda Request Form for the 17 July 2007 Inyo Board of Supervisor's Meeting**

The Interim Management Plan (“IMP”) was reviewed and approved by your Board on March 13, 2007. The IMP is a three-year agreement (subject to earlier termination) that regulates LADWP’s groundwater pumping operations in the Owens Valley. The intent of the IMP is to reduce the staff requirement for both agencies with regard to groundwater pumping so that the primary objective of the plan, the development of recommendations for revisions of the groundwater management techniques specified in the technical appendix to the Long Term Water Agreement, the "Green Book", can be accomplished.

Exhibit B of the IMP identifies certain wells as “exempt.” Each well listed on Exhibit B may be operated as necessary to supply the use identified in Exhibit B. The IMP provides that pumping from a well listed on Exhibit B for the designated use is not limited even if the operation of the well will prevent attainment of the groundwater target level for a wellfield specified in the IMP. However, if the operation of such a well or wells prevent the attainment of an applicable runoff year wellfield target level, no well in the wellfield other than a well or wells listed on Exhibit B may be operated during the runoff year.

The IMP provides that amendments of the IMP must be approved by the County and LADWP. On June 12, your Board approved an addendum to the IMP that added Well 349 to Exhibit B for the 2007-08 runoff year. LADWP has requested a second addendum to the IMP that would add the four additional wells described below to Exhibit B.

• Well 247 to supply water to the McNally pasture--an Enhancement/Mitigation (E/M) project. It should be noted that the McNally Canals could also supply this project with water diverted from the Owens River or from LADWP wells that pump groundwater into the McNally Canals. However, there are no wells currently on Exhibit B that can provide water to the E/M project. Average annual pumping since 1995 has been 427 acre-feet per year.
• Well 377 to supply the Laws/Poleta pasture--an E/M project. It should be noted that this project can also be supplied by the McNally Canals with water diverted from the Owens River or from wells already exempt under the IMP (Exhibit B) that pump groundwater into the McNally Canals. Use of Well 377 may result in lower canal and evaporation losses because it is located closer to the project than other wells already listed in Exhibit B. Therefore, adding Well 377 may slightly decrease the overall pumping in Laws.
• Well 376 and Well 399 to supply irrigation water for re-vegetation projects in the Laws area. Well 376 provides water using a small submersible pump, and the average annual water use is about 6 acre-feet per year. Well 399 irrigates a re-vegetation project using a drip system, and the anticipated use is about 6 acre-feet per year. Under this exemption both wells will be dedicated to the respective projects.

The Water Department recommends that your Board:

• Approve the attached amendment of the IMP that modifies Exhibit B of the IMP.
• Authorize the Chair to sign the attached amendment of the IMP