Owens Valley Farmers Association

Owens Valley Farmers Association
Name	Owens Valley Farmers Association
Formation	20th century
Type	Agricultural association
Headquarters	Owens Valley, California
Region served	Inyo County, California
Members	Farmers, ranchers, landowners

Owens Valley Farmers Association is a regional agricultural association based in Owens Valley, California, representing irrigators, ranchers, and landowners in Inyo County and surrounding communities. Founded amid disputes over water allocation, the association engages with agencies, courts, and advocacy groups to defend local irrigation, grazing, and land-use practices. Its work intersects with state agencies, municipal water utilities, conservation organizations, and landmark legal decisions affecting water rights and land stewardship.

History

The association emerged during the era of conflict between local irrigators and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power over water diversion projects such as the Los Angeles Aqueduct and legal battles like the California Water Wars. Early leaders drew on traditions from Mormon settlers in Owens Valley, John C. Frémont era settlement patterns, and agricultural cooperatives modeled after the National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry and Farm Bureau. The association contended with interventions by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, litigation in United States District Court for the Eastern District of California, administrative proceedings before the California State Water Resources Control Board, and negotiations with municipal governments including City of Los Angeles. Historical episodes include protests, administrative appeals, and collaborations with organizations such as the Sierra Club and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife over habitat impacts and water allocations.

Mission and Activities

The association states a mission to protect local irrigated agriculture, preserve grazing allotments, and secure water rights for valley landowners. Activities include negotiating with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, participating in adjudications in Inyo County Superior Court, filing amicus briefs in appeals to the California Court of Appeal and the California Supreme Court, and engaging with federal agencies such as the United States Fish and Wildlife Service on endangered species matters. It provides technical assistance through partnerships with extension services like the University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources and collaborates with research institutions including University of California, Davis and Stanford University on hydrology and soil studies. The association organizes community meetings at venues such as the Owens Valley Paiute-Shoshone Cultural Center and coordinates with regional stakeholders like the Inyo County Board of Supervisors and the Eastern Sierra Interpretive Association.

Organizational Structure and Membership

Governance typically comprises an elected board of directors, committees, and advisory councils that coordinate with legal counsel and hydrological experts. Membership includes small-scale irrigators, commercial ranchers, and private landowners from locales like Bishop, California, Big Pine, California, and Independence, California. The association liaises with agricultural organizations such as the California Farm Bureau Federation and the National Farmers Union, and with tribal entities including the Owens Valley Paiute Shoshone. Funding sources historically combine member dues, legal defense funds, and grants from philanthropic organizations like the Sierra Nevada Conservancy and foundations that support rural communities. Administrative interactions occur with the Inyo County Water Department, the California Natural Resources Agency, and regional planning bodies like the Sierra Nevada Conservancy.

Legal and Political Advocacy

The association has been active in litigation over appropriative and pre-1914 water rights, bringing cases that invoke doctrines shaped by decisions such as Lux v. Haggin and statutes administered by the California State Water Resources Control Board. It petitions federal agencies under provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act and engages in Endangered Species Act consultations with the National Marine Fisheries Service and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Politically, the group lobbies county supervisors, state legislators in the California State Legislature, and federal representatives in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate to influence water policy, infrastructure funding, and land management statutes. The association has filed administrative protests against DWP water transfers and has participated in settlement talks mediated by parties including the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and academic mediators from University of California, Los Angeles.

Environmental Impact and Water Rights

Central to the association’s concerns are the ecological consequences of water exportation for features such as the Owens Lake basin, local groundwater basins, and riparian corridors that support species listed under the Endangered Species Act. The association disputes or mitigates assertions by conservation groups like Audubon Society and The Nature Conservancy regarding habitat restoration projects when such projects affect irrigated agriculture and grazing. It commissions hydrological analyses referencing work by the California Department of Water Resources and coordinates with air quality regulators such as the California Air Resources Board when dust from desiccated lakebeds like Owens Lake becomes a public health issue. The association’s legal strategy often hinges on prior appropriation, riparian doctrines affirmed in cases reviewed by the California Supreme Court, and negotiated conservation easements brokered with land trusts like the Trust for Public Land.

Economic and Community Role

The association positions irrigated agriculture and ranching as economic mainstays for communities across Owens Valley and links to tourism nodes such as Mammoth Lakes, California and historic sites like the Manzanar National Historic Site, which influence regional economic planning by the Inyo County Economic Development Department. Its advocacy affects agricultural supply chains tied to the California almond industry, local alfalfa production, and livestock markets connected to the United States Department of Agriculture programs. Community services include outreach with local schools like Bishop Union High School, workforce development initiatives coordinated with Sierra College, and disaster response planning with agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The association’s activities intersect with federal land management by the United States Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management where grazing permits and watershed protections are administered.

Category:Agricultural organizations based in California