Lower Owens River Draft Recreation Use Plan now available

New Water, New Opportunities...

With the return of water to the Lower Owens River come new opportunities to discover and enjoy the beautiful Owens Valley. Water has transformed large areas of the valley floor from south of Big Pine to Owens Lake into highly desirable environments, not just for plants and animals but for also for people. Shade trees are returning, fishing is great, grasses, shrubs and wildlife are abundant, and there is plenty of cool water to splash – the Lower Owens is becoming a very attractive place to be.

What's Your Vision?

What would you do with a river reborn, with wetlands filled with water? How would you balance an increasing demand for recreation with the need to protect traditional uses and an evolving ecosystem? These are the questions being asked by Inyo County and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), who together are exploring possible recreational and tourism opportunities associated with the Lower Owens River Project (LORP), as well as the cultural, ecological, and economic significance of the river, large wetlands, and lakes and ponds.

Tell Us!

With proposition 84 funds granted by the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, recreation use planners were hired to study the LORP. As part of this effort, the County and LADWP invite local organizations and the public to share their vision of what recreation in the LORP area could look like.

The project team has held two public workshops and numerous group and individual meetings with tribal representatives, local agencies, interest groups and the public. Have we heard from you? The LORP Recreation Plan Survey has officially ended, but we still want your participation. Please contact us directly and provide your thoughts, comment, concerns, and ideas.