Bishop, CA - Part 1 - September 27 & 28, 2021

 Bishop is my favorite town in the Eastern Sierra.  Not a large town by any means, it's still the largest in the area, so more complete services are available.  Its official population is less than 4000, but including the unincorporated area and the Paiute/Shoshone Reservation, the number is closer to 15,000.  There is little possibility of growth, since the town is surrounded by land owned/managed by government agencies, including the Los Angeles Department of Water &  Power (LADWP). 

Despite an average annual precipitation of roughly five inches, Bishop and its surrounding area is probably the greenest spot in the Owens Valley.  A very neat town with well maintained houses and lawns, several parks add to the greenery.  The farms and ranches outside town have irrigated crops and pastures.  Even the vacant fields are mostly covered by rabbit brush, more attractive than typical desert vegetation.  This is at least partly because the diversion of the Owens River to the LA aquaduct takes place farther downstream, and partly because of Bishop Creek.

North of town, the Owens River has created a large gorge, possibly 1000 feet deep in places.  Pipelines as much as ten feet in diameter carry dammed water through a power generating station.

Bishop Creek flows down from the mountains in three branches, or forks, called North, Middle and South Forks.  Each fork supplies a lake, ranging in elevation from 9100 to 9800 feet.  North Lake appears to be totally natural, while South Lake and Sabrina Lake have dams.  There may have been natural lakes in those locations, but dams certainly made them larger.  These latter two dams are drained every fall to remove all the water possible, as well as to prepare for spring snow melt that would otherwise flood the area. So, it's not possible to get photos of full lakes and fall colors.  But the surrounding mountains make nice scenes.

Lake Sabrina

South Lake

South Lake Dam

Bishop Creek is always one of the better places to capture colorful leaves, along with tumbling water.

North Lake is the smallest and is accessed only by hiking or driving up a narrow, unpaved road with steep drop offs.

From the road, a nice waterfall in Bishop Creek is visible.