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Mayor Villaraigosa, LADWP, Inyo County Join in Historic Event Marking First Water Flow into the Owens River

Posted on: Friday, 1 December 2006, 15:00 CST

LADWP:

WHAT: Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) and the County of Inyo will celebrate a truly historic occasion -- releasing the first continuous flow of water into the Lower Owens River, which has been essentially dry for nearly a century.

WHO: Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Susan Cash, Chair, Inyo County Board of Supervisors Tom LaBonge, Los Angeles City Councilmember H. David Nahai, President, Board of Water and Power Commissioners Other elected officials, dignitaries, community and environmental leaders

WHEN: December 6, 2006, 11 a.m. - Noon

WHERE: The Los Angeles Aqueduct Intake in the Owens Valley 2 miles east of Highway 395; 15 miles north of Independence, 30 miles south of Bishop. Approximate drive time from L.A.: 4 hours.

VISUALS: L.A. Mayor Villaraigosa and Inyo County representatives will join in lowering a new automated steel gate and send the first water flowing back into the Lower Owens River since the City of Los Angeles began diverting water for use in Los Angeles.

MEDIA AVAILABILITY:

Dignitaries and LADWP staff will be available for interviews immediately following the ceremony.

BACKGROUND:

The Lower Owens River Project (LORP) is considered the largest river restoration effort in the United States, and is a cooperative effort by LADWP and the County of Inyo. The LORP will provide a steady flow of water to 62 miles of the Owens River, spreading water into basins to create hundreds of acres of wetland habitat and off-river lakes and ponds for waterfowl, shorebirds and fisheries. It will also provide new opportunities for fishing, bird-watching, and other outdoor recreation and nature activities.

Source: Business Wire

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