formed 760,000 years ago, making it one of the oldest lakes in
North America. the time of the last ice age, the lake was 900 feet deep
and surrounded by large volcanoes. Islands in the lake were known as
important nesting sites, and it is believed that 85% of California Gulls
started their life there.
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| Lake Mono |
Sierra Nevada
Nestled at the edge of the arid
Great Basin and the snowy Sierra Nevada mountains in California, Mono
Lake is an ancient saline lake that covers over 70 square miles and
supports a unique and productive ecosystem. The lake has no fish;
instead it is home to trillions of brine shrimp and alkali flies.
Freshwater streams feed Mono Lake, supporting lush riparian forests of
cottonwood and willow along their banks. Along the lakeshore, scenic
limestone formations known as tufa towers rise from the water's surface.
Millions of migratory birds visit the lake each year.
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| Lake Mono |
From
1941 until 1990, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP)
diverted excessive amounts of water from Mono Basin streams. Mono Lake
dropped 45 vertical feet, lost half its volume, and doubled in salinity.
 |
| Lake Mono |
In 1994, after over a decade of litigation, the California State Water
Resources Control Board ordered DWP to allow Mono Lake to rise to a
healthy level of 6,392 feet above sea level--twenty feet above its
historic low. It is rising toward that goal
References
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