Mono Lake - Water Resources, Environmental Problems

Mono Lake

Mono Lake stock photos - Images by Green Stock Media

It was magical to see Mono Lake appear before me out in the desert as I whizzed down Tioga Pass from Yosemite. I did not realize that Mono Lake was such a wonderous place for wildlife too until I visited the information center in Lee Vining, which also turned out to house the Mono Lake Committee.

Mono Lake photo.

Even though it is out in the desert, Mono Lake is a home or migratory rest stop for about 79 species of water birds. That is most of the species found in North America! Why is Mono Lake such a bird paradise? There are no fish in the lake, only a huge number of flies and shrimp. The salinity (salt content) of the lake is very high. There is more salt in it, per gallon, than there is in the ocean. This makes it impossible for fish to live in it.

Have you seen the Save Mono Lake bumper stickers? Those came about because in 1941 Los Angeles began diverting water from the lake to meet the needs of its growing population. Los Angeles is a desert itself and does not have a large water supply nearby. The consequence of diverting water from Mono Lake was that by 1982 the level of the lake had dropped 45 feet and lost half of its volume. Creeks dried up, riparian forests withered, and toxic dust storms developed.

Mono Lake tufa close-up photo.
Here's an unidentified bird (swallow?) on a tufa. What's a tufa? (click to find out)

Luckily, in 1976 an intensive three month study of the Mono Lake environment was undertaken, led by David Gaines. This study documented the damaging effects that water diversion was having on the ecosystem. Soon the Mono Lake Committee was formed, gaining 20,000 members, winning public recognition, and securing legal protection for the lake. In 1994 the State Water Board curtailed water diversion to LA. At that time they agreed to let the water level rise seven feet in the next 10 to 15 years. Letting the water level rise decreases the salinity of the water and increases the number of brine shrimp and alkali flies. This provides even more food to support the birds. It also makes Negit Island safe for nesting birds. With water levels low predatory animals were able to cross over to the island and disturb the birds and their nests.

To my amazement, I also learned that Los Angeles was one of the lowest per capita water users in California and that Southern California leads the world in water recycling (1994 statistics). The drought in LA and the Mono Lake problem transformed water management and led to an increase in water reclamation facilities.

Where does the salt in Mono Lake come from? An ancient ocean? Deposits in the soil? Both? Someone will have to research this and let me know since I do not have any verifiable information about this. And, by the way, I was told that the United States Geological Survey (USGS) was recently in the area taking 8,000 year old core samples from the lake. Who knows what they will find out!

Mike@Kahncious.Net

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