Owens River Water Trail

The Owens River Water Trail is a signature recreation project—the first dedicated water trail on a river in California. The project creates a 6.3 mile water trail on the newly re-watered Lower Owens River in the scenic Owens Valley that is solely dedicated to kayaks, canoes, and other paddlecraft. Recreationists will find well designed parking areas, accessible paths to the river, and formal paddlecraft entry and exit points.  The Owens River Water Trail is also improves aquatic habitat; opening up the river and improving transport of organic sediments.

The Lower Owens River is a component of the Lower Owens River Project (LORP) which, in addition to ecosystem recovery promotes sustainable recreation. The area of the proposed water trail has a moderately wide channel characterized by large areas of open water separated by relatively short lengths of channel that are obstructed or bridged by bulrush and cattail (collectively referred to as tules). Tules and coyote willow line the margins of the open water channel; ponds open to salt grass meadow.  Tree willow is the dominate overstory. The river has a sustained 40 cfs flow and a yearly seasonal habitat flow of up to 200 cfs.

The project is expected to improve water quality. Years of low flows prior to 2006 allowed tules to colonize the channel. In places, thick beds of tule roots completely cover the river bottom and vegetation blocks the channel. The seasonal habitat flows meant to move muck out the system are diminished in the vegetation and the buildup of organic material, derived from decaying tules, cannot be effectively flushed by the habitat flow. The project improves water quality by opening these blockages. The newly established channel will better fit the river’s hydrograph and is expected to improve flushing of organic sediment and protect the fishery.

Inyo County and LADWP jointly manage the LORP. A preferred Recreation use plan for the LORP, which has at its core a river trail, has the support of LADWP and parties to the MOU, and was developed by a diverse range of stakeholders including the LADWP, conservation organizations, ranchers, anglers, students, area Indian Tribes, local, state, and federal agencies, local businesses, and the general public. A water trail on the Lower Owens River has popular support, and now area businesses, local agencies and NGOs are meeting to discuss forming a Lower Owens River stewardship group.

The entire project area is owned by the City of Los Angeles and is open to daytime use by the public. The Owens River Water Trail is 2.5 miles from the center of Lone Pine, easily accessible by bike or car. Lone Pine aspires to be identified as a River Town; this project establishes that connection. The Lone Pine economic plan associated with the project includes a concessionaire running regularly scheduled drop-offs and pick-ups of boaters between the river and the many local hotels.