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This reminds me of the Grinch who stole Christmas when he reaches down the fireplace for that last crumb, "too small for a mouse." LADWP may not be "stealing" the water like the Grinch, but they should realize that's how a lot of people see it. It would be cheap PR to come to a deal with Mammoth and then promote the compromise as a good steward rather than be seen as a "bully." They don't seem to care one bit about how they are viewed by the public.
PS. I like the solar panel idea if it's done right. This is another opportunity to give something back to the people of Owens Valley, but most likely they will simply maximize profits.
I think many people see LA as "stealing" because of kind of exaggerated hype they've seen from sources such as you have cited. But going to those sources, the real issues are not a "drop in the bucket". "Drop in the bucket" -is- a fairy tale. Most every community on the east side wants land and water for development and outside capital investment for tax base. Water rights are like copyrights in that, if you don't defend them, you lose them. The reason we can discuss "a drop in the bucket" is that LA has been defending it's purchased rights and can be expected to continue to do so. The problem with the exaggerated hype is that it is actively harmful.
I agree with you that solar panels for power in the dry lake could be a good idea if done right. I really don't expect it to happen because of two groups in Inyo county itself. One group is the green NIMBYs who object to expansions of solar technology into undeveloped areas like solar panels in their dry lake bed or solar toilets in their wilderness. The other group is made up of those who in light of exaggerated hype would rather spite LA than encourage economic development in the Owens Valley or conversion of California to sustainable energy.
Exaggerated sound bites may be fun and entertaining, but they prevent solutions by distracting from them. What could anyone expect LA to "give back" while they are under attack?
Dale B Dalrymple
