The
Owens River is a
riverA river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing toward an ocean, a lake, a sea or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water...
in eastern
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, approximately long. It drains into an arid ranching basin, called the
Owens ValleyOwens Valley is the arid valley of the Owens River in southeastern California in the United States. The valley is approximately long, trending north-south, and is bounded by the Inyo Mountains on the east, on the southeast by the Coso Range, on the south by Rose Valley, on the west by the Sierra...
, on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada mountains. The site of a long-running chapter of the bitter
California Water WarsThe California Water Wars describes the disputes between Los Angeles, California and the Owens Valley over water rights. The disputes stem from Los Angeles' location in a semi-arid area, and the availability of water from Sierra Nevada runoff in the Owens Valley.-Early views of Owens Valley water...
, the river drained into
Owens LakeOwens Lake is a dry lake in the eastern Sierra Nevada of Inyo County, California, located about south of Lone Pine, California. Unlike most dry lakes in the Basin and Range Province that have been dry for thousands of years, Owens held significant water until 1924, fed by the Owens River.- History...
until it was entirely diverted for
irrigationIrrigation is an artificial application of water to the soil. It is usually used to assist in growing crops in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
and
drinking waterDrinking water or potable water is water of sufficiently high quality that it can be consumed or used without risk of immediate or long term harm...
. On December 6, 2006, the city of Los Angeles restored 5% of its pre-aqueduct flow, by court order.
Description
The river rises in the Sierra Nevada in southwestern
Mono CountyMono County is a county located in the east central portion of the U.S. state of California, to the east of the Sierra Nevada between Yosemite National Park and Nevada. As of 2000 the population was 12,853. The county seat is Bridgeport....
, approximately south of
Mono LakeMono Lake is an alkaline and hypersaline lake in Mono County, California. It has an unusually productive ecosystem, and is a critical nesting habitat for several bird species.-Geology:...
and east of Yosemite Village. It flows southeast across the
Long Valley CalderaLong Valley Caldera is a depression in eastern California that is adjacent to Mammoth Mountain. The valley is one of the largest calderas on earth, measuring about long and wide . The elevation of the floor of the caldera is in the east and in the west...
, through Lake Crowley reservoir, then descends through the
Owens River GorgeThe Owens River Gorge is a steep 10 mi canyon on the upper Owens River in eastern California in the United States. The canyon is located at the eastern edge of the Sierra Nevada mountains in southern Mono County, along the stretch of the river where it exits the Long Valley near its source and...
, emerging at the north end of the Owens Valley north of
BishopBishop is a city in Inyo County, California, USA. is located near the northern end of the Owens Valley, at an elevation of 4147 feet . The population was 3,575 at the 2000 census...
. In the area around Bishop, it is diverted through many ditches to irrigate the surrounding farming region. It flows south-southeast through the Owens Valley between the Sierra Nevada on the west and the
WhiteThe White Mountains of California are a triangular fault block mountain range facing the Sierra Nevada across the upper Owens Valley. They extend for approximately as a greatly elevated plateau about on the south, narrowing to a point at the north, with elevations generally increasing south to...
and
InyoThe Inyo Mountains are a short mountain range east of the Sierra Nevada mountains in eastern California in the United States. The range separates the Owens Valley to the west with Saline Valley to the east, extending for approximately 70 mi SSE from the southern end of the White Mountains, from...
mountains on the east, past
Big PineBig Pine is a census-designated place in Inyo County, California, United States. Big Pine is located south-southeast of Bishop, at an elevation of 3990 feet . The population was 1,350 at the 2000 census...
. Approximately south-southeast of Big Pine, most of the remaining river is diverted into the
Los Angeles AqueductThe Los Angeles Aqueduct system comprising the Los Angeles Aqueduct and the Second Los Angeles Aqueduct, is a water conveyance operated by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power...
, completed in 1913 to supply drinking water to
Los AngelesLos Angeles is the largest city in the state of California and the second largest in the United States. Often abbreviated as L.A. and nicknamed The City of Angels, Los Angeles has an estimated population of 3.8 million and spans over in Southern California...
. The remaining river flows in a trickle through the southern valley, flanked by the Los Angeles Aqueduct, past
Lone PineLone Pine is a census-designated place in Inyo County, California, United States. Lone Pine is located south-southeast of Independence, at an elevation of 3727 feet . The population was 1,655 at the 2000 census. The town is located in the Owens Valley, near the Alabama Hills...
, entering the lake bed of now-dry
Owens LakeOwens Lake is a dry lake in the eastern Sierra Nevada of Inyo County, California, located about south of Lone Pine, California. Unlike most dry lakes in the Basin and Range Province that have been dry for thousands of years, Owens held significant water until 1924, fed by the Owens River.- History...
at the southern end of the valley.
The acquisition of water rights for the Los Angeles Aqueduct under the direction of
William MulhollandWilliam Mulholland was the head of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Los Angeles in Southern California, United States...
was highly controversial and led to violence and sabotage by local residents in the 1920s. The diversion of water and the subsequent
desiccationDesiccation is the state of extreme dryness, or the process of extreme drying. A desiccant is a hygroscopic substance that induces or sustains such a state in its local vicinity in a moderately-well sealed container.-Science:-Desiccator:...
of Owens Lake remains highly controversial. The re-establishment of the lake has been a long-time goal of the California
environmentalistEnvironmentalism is a broad philosophy and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the state of the environment...
community.
See the California Water WarsThe California Water Wars describes the disputes between Los Angeles, California and the Owens Valley over water rights. The disputes stem from Los Angeles' location in a semi-arid area, and the availability of water from Sierra Nevada runoff in the Owens Valley.-Early views of Owens Valley water...
article for a detailed history of the water wars.
External links