Wednesday August 2, 2023
CalTrout —
In October 2021, the California State Water Resources Board issued Order 21-86 to amend the water rights of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) in the Mono Basin. Mono Basin stream habitat was damaged through the years by excessive water diversions by LADWP to Los Angeles. This order formalized a prior stream restoration agreement and new operational requirements for flows and diversions were established. As a result, twenty miles of stream and Mono Lake benefit from science-based restoration.
Monitoring Team Forms
After the Settlement was completed, a Monitoring Administration Team (MAT) was formed with representatives of the Agreement parties including Mono Lake Committee, CalTrout, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and LADWP. The MAT selected the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation as the fiscal administrator overseeing survey work paid to consultants by LADWP as part of the Settlement.
As required under Order 21-86, monitoring is a key element which covers the areas of stream, waterfowl, and limnology (the study of inland waters). The purpose of the post-Settlement monitoring is to evaluate the effectiveness of the Stream Enhancement Flow (SEF) regimes and make recommended changes to these flows, adjusting their timing and magnitude as needed.