This year, in a significant change of operations, the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (DWP) is moving less water out of the Mono Basin than the maximum allowed. Existing California State Water Resources Control Board rules allow for 16,000 acre-feet of water export due to 2023’s dramatic lake level rise, but DWP has planned—for one year—to keep its export at the 4,500 acre-foot amount allowed last year.
DWP began exporting water out of the Mono Basin on October 1st at a rate of 44–45 cubic feet per second (cfs), which has amounted to about 2,400 acre-feet exported so far. Mono Lake Committee staff check data from DWP’s daily aqueduct reports and real-time data tracking for this information. Exporting at 44 cfs will get DWP the entire 4,500 acre-foot amount it agreed to this year by Thanksgiving.
However, last spring when DWP confirmed in its Annual Operations Plan to limit exports to 4,500 acre-feet, it added a caveat that provides for a November review of that commitment. The Committee is closely communicating with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and DWP to maintain the plan as-is.
Top photo by Andrew Youssef.