LA Told to Get Off Dime, Fix Owens River
September 28, 2006 - Once again, the City of Los Angeles has been told to restore a 62-mile stretch of the Lower Owens River that it largely sucked dry, along with Owens Lake, early in the 20th Century. The Los Angeles Times reports a Riverside state appeals court has upheld a lower court order blocking use of the 200-mile Second Los Angeles Aqueduct until the river is back to normal. The LA Department of Water and Power originally agreed to recharge the Lower Owens River aquifer and restore its riparian habitat back in 1997. Officials say the DWP has missed 13 deadlines. Last year an Inyo County judge hit the city with fines of $5,000-per-day for non-compliance. The fines have been piling up since September 5, 2005.