BGuthrie Photos: CA -- Mono Lake

CA -- Mono Lake:

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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. MONOLK_140717_015.JPG: Essence of the Great Basin The Desert Smells Like Sagebrush Take a deep breath of the Great Basin Desert air. The refreshing scent of sagebrush permeates the Basin, especially after rain or snow. Over 20 species of sagebrush thrive in the Great Basin, giving it the appearance of a sagebrush ocean. These plants adapt to the scarcity of water in this high, cold desert with small, light–colored hairy leaves that reduce evaporation and conserve moisture. Edge of the Pinyon–Juniper Forests As your eye travels from the basin up to the surrounding mountains you can see a change from the lighter green sagebrush to the darker conifers. These trees are some of the westernmost pinyon pines and Great Basin junipers in North America. Like other desert residents, these trees thrive by conserving scarce water resources. The pinyon produces rich and nutritious nuts that support numerous birds, squirrels, and chipmunks; juniper berries feed birds, foxes, and coyotes. Lessons from the Sage and Forest The ability to conserve life–giving water is the essence of survival in the desert. By applying this valuable desert insight, we can help ensure the future of lakes, streams, groundwater, and wetlands wherever we live.
2. MONOLK_140717_018.JPG: On the Western Edge of the Great Basin Desert
3. MONOLK_140717_021.JPG: Looking eastward across the Mono Basin we see the beginning of the Basin and Range Province that stretches from the eastern edge of the Sierra across Nevada to central Utah. The Great Basin Desert, it's mountain ranges, and it's sagebrush oceans dominate the Intermountain West. The Great Basin Desert derives its name from John Fremont's 1845 explorations of the West. Fremont searched in vain for a river leading to the Pacific Ocean, but eventually discovered that the landscape here was a gigantic enclosed basin with no outlet to the sea. Although the name suggests a single basin, the Great Basin contains nearly 150 basins and 160 mountain ranges.
4. MONOLK_140717_024.JPG: Because the Mono Basin is poised on the edge of the forested mountains of the Sierra Nevada and the Great Basin Desert, it supports a unique diversity of plants and animals. The Sierra Nevada's proximity to moisture-laden storms from the Pacific ocean provides water to the desert from snowmelt in the mountains, resulting in a diversity of wet and dry habitats. Although heavily impacted by fire suppression and grazing, this desert still holds remnants of its former wildness. Wild rye, rice grass, buffalo berry, and aspens still flourish in areas of the Mono basin. Some of the local residents include deer, mountain lions, sage grouse, blue herons, Canadian geese, golden eagles, and coyotes.
5. MONOLK_140717_027.JPG: Native Grasses -- Keystone of Diversity As the desert is warmed by the sun, heated air rises, creating uplifting thermal winds. You may frequently see hawks, eagles, ravens, and vultures catching these winds and circling overhead, looking for food on the desert floor below. Numerous birds of prey inhabit the Mono Basin, but their numbers and diversity are dwindling as the desert grasses that sustain their prey disappear. Native grasses, such as wild rye and rice grass, are the keystones of diversity, providing abundant seeds and other high quality forage for wildlife. Hundreds of thousands of domestic sheep grazed in the Mono Basin during the mid–1800s. Overgrazing and trampling of vegetation changed the primary composition of this desert grassland to sagebrush. Suppression of natural wildfires also contributed to the decline of native grasses. Fires helped to maintain the open spaces needed for seed germination. Sage grouse and pronghorn antelope populations have also declined with the loss of native grasses. Archaeological records showed that pronghorn antelope where once so abundant in the Mono Basin that Native Americans would hunt them in huge drives. Today only a small herd exists in the Bodie Hills, rarely visiting the Mono Basin. Land managers have reduced the number of sheep that can graze in the Mono Basin. They are also experimenting with prescribed burns to restore the health of the natural grasslands. Perhaps, with the return of the native grasses, species like the grouse, pronghorn, and birds of prey will attain their former abundance.
6. MONOLK_140717_031.JPG: Mono Diggins About 1 mile N.E. of here lies Mono Diggins, the first extensive placer mining excitement east of the Sierra. Cord Norst is generally credited with being the discovered on July 4, 1859. A town, Monoville, boasted a transient population of 500 - 1000. A post office established December 12, 1859, was closed by April 2, 1862, as the prospectors moved on to Aurora. One of the most ambitious hydraulic water projects of the time was the transportation of water from Virginia Creek to the Diggins by open ditches known as "The Mono Ditch". The remnants of the system may be seen by looking easterly from the highway summit or northerly from the bottom of the grade. Plaque dedicated September 9, 1978 Bodie Chapter of E Clampus Vitus
7. MONOLK_140717_040.JPG: Location is Everything: Overlooking beautiful Mono Lake, Lee Vining has something for everyone. Shopping, restaurants, day hikes, and fishing are only a short walk from the motels and campgrounds of Lee Vining.
8. MONOLK_140717_043.JPG: Mono Lake: Refuge on the Edge "There is a chorus of wings navigating the planet." -- Terry Tempest Williams
9. MONOLK_140717_045.JPG: Nurseries in the Desert: Have you seen flocks of gulls feeding at Mono Lake? Over 80% of the state's California Gulls cross the Sierra Nevada to Mono Lake every spring to nest and rear their young. These gulls travel to Mono Lake to take advantage of the island nesting habitat and abundant food sources.
10. MONOLK_140717_047.JPG: A Fading Oasis: In 1941, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) extended its aqueduct system into the Mono Basin and began diverting water from four of the six mountain streams that nourish Moro Lake. By 1982, as a result of diversions, the lake had dropped 45 feet, lost half its volume, and doubled in salinity. These changes threatened the health of the ecosystem, and impacted local wildlife, fish, migratory birds, and human health. In the late 1970s, a group of concerned citizens and researchers formed the Mono Lake Committee to inform the public of these losses and work toward the protection of Mono Lake.
11. MONOLK_140717_049.JPG: Waterfowl on the Edge: Mono Lake once provided habitat for huge concentrations of ducks, geese, and swans during their fall migrations. According to a 1948 California Department of Fish and Game survey, approximately one million ducks were seen at Mono Lake on a single day. As freshwater continued to be diverted from streams feeding Mono Lake, waterfowl populations drastically declined, due to loss of habitat and the increased salinity of the lake. Although waterfowl populations have declined substantially everywhere, the decline here at Mono Lake is so severe that fewer than 13,500 ducks now visit annually, a lost of 98%.
12. MONOLK_140717_054.JPG: Turning Point: The California State Water Board's 1994 decision on the future of Mono Lake was influenced by a coalition of public and private groups led by the Mono Lake Committee. This decision mandated that the lake level rise to its 1960 level of 6,392 feet -- 19 feet higher than 1994, but 25 feet lower than when LADWP diversions began in 1941. Furthermore, the 1995 decision required that stream and waterfowl habitat be restored. Current restoration work is building the hope that Mono Lake may once again provide a refuge for a multitude of migratory and nesting birds.
13. MONOLK_140717_060.JPG: Mono Lake On the Edge of Mountain and Desert
14. MONOLK_140717_063.JPG: In the Rainshadow of the Sierra As storm clouds cross the Sierra Nevada, towering peaks catch their moisture, blanketing the high country with rain and snow. While the average annual precipitation in the Sierra is 26 inches, the Mono Basin receives only 10 inches of moisture yearly due to the rainshadow's effect. High evaporation rates also help to create the desert conditions of the Mono Basin. For example, warm, dry summers evaporate nearly 48 inches of moisture from Mono Lake's surface every year.
15. MONOLK_140717_065.JPG: Oasis in the Desert: Lakes with plentiful food sources for birds are rare in the Intermountain West. Mono Lake's tremendous abundance of alkali flies and brine shrimp provides an oasis in the desert for nesting and migratory birds. For many birds, Mono Lake is a critical link on the Interior Pacific Flyway, which extends from northern breeding grounds in the Canadian Arctic to wintering places as far away as the tip of South America. More than a million birds, including nearly 100 different waterbird species, use Mono Lake as an "avian gas station" on their migrations. Mono Lake is an international reserve in the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network.
16. MONOLK_140717_067.JPG: Desert Basins Nourished by Mountain Snows: The Mono Basin defines the western edge of the Great Basin Desert, an area of basins and mountain ranges that stretches across Nevada to the western front of the Wasatch Mountains in Utah. Look around you. In every direction there are mountain ranges. These mountains surround Mono Lake, trapping its water in a basin. Water flows in from creeks created by the snow melt of the Sierra Nevada, replenishing the lakewater lost to evaporation. Like other terminal lakes in the Great Basin, under natural conditions water flows in, but does not flow out.
17. MONOLK_140717_070.JPG: Mono Basin Recreational Opportunities
18. MONOLK_140717_076.JPG: South Tufa: If you have time for only one stop, this is the best place to visit Mono Lake. Here, you will discover a self-guided nature trail through the tufa formations that provides easy lakeshore access. Depending on the season, South Tufa is a good place to see some of hte the one million migratory birds that visit the lake each year. Naturalist tours are offered daily in the summer and some weekends in the winter.
19. MONOLK_140717_103.JPG: Navy Beach During the Cold War, Mono County was home to one of many remote facilities used by the US Military to test new weapons and weapons systems. A "secret military installation" operated by the US Navy was located along the south shoreline of Mono Lake. During the 1950s and 1960s several branches of the US Armed Forces utilized this test facility to conduct various research. Numerous top-secret exercises were actually performed here during what was called "seismic testing." However with the expansion of other nearby bases, growing public safety and environmental concerns, this facility soon outgrew its usefulness. In May 1962 all operations ceased and soon thereafter the facility was abandoned. Although many scientists, technicians, soldiers and sailors worked at this installation for many years, all that remains today of their activities are a few remnants and the name "Navy Beach." This monument and plaque dedicated as a California sesquicentennial event. September 11, 1999.
20. MONOLK_140717_107.JPG: Salt of the Earth: Plant Life Near an In;land Sea
21. MONOLK_140717_109.JPG: Oasis in the Desert: Mark Twain called Mono Lake the "Dead Sea of California," but nothing could be further from the truth. Mono is one of the most productive lakes in the West, teeming with plants and animals that have adapted to its salty, alkaline (soapy) waters. Mono Lake's abundant aquatic life makes it one of the most important wetlands in the entire western hemisphere for migrating and nesting birds. This simple ecosystem, while productive, is also extremely fragile. The loss of even a single species, such as the alkali flies or brine shrimp, could cause thousands or even millions of other organisms to be negatively effected. A Simple, Fragile Ecosystem: Tiny green plants called algae capture the sun's energy, then become food for millions of alkali flies and trillions of brine shrimp. Over a million birds feast on the shrimp and flies. As dead plants and animals fall to the lakebottom, bacteria decompose them. Their nutrients fertilize the algae, and the cycle begins again. How Tufa Towers Form: Tufa forms under Mono Lake's waters. When freshwater springs rich in calcium bubble up through the carbonate-rich lake water, the calcium and carbonates react to form a calcium carbonate salt deposit, which is called tufa. This solid, limestone-like material continues to develop, eventually forming vertical towers with spring water percolating up through and around them.
22. MONOLK_140717_112.JPG: Variety is the Spice of Life: Birds at South Tufa
23. MONOLK_140717_115.JPG: The Hidden Food Chain: Animals in the Great Basin
24. MONOLK_140717_123.JPG: Exploring the Mono Basin
25. MONOLK_140717_124.JPG: Water Solutions: Mono Lake's Story: On September 28, 1994, a significant victory was achieved in the long struggle over Mono Lake's water. The California State Water Resources Control Board issued an order to protect Mono Lake and its tributary streams. A Fading Oasis: In 1941, the City of Los Angeles extended its aqueduct system into the Mono Basin, diverting water from four of the six mountain streams that feed Mono Lake. Without freshwater from the streams, the lake lost more to evaporation than it gained from inflow. Mono Lake dropped nearly fifty vertical feet, shrank to half its volume, and doubled in salinity over the next forty years. Miles of newly exposed lakebottom created unhealthy and unsightly dust storms in the windy Basin. These drastic changes affected the health of the lake ecosystem, impacting local wildlife and fisheries, migratory birds, and human health. The Struggle for Solutions: In 1978, a coalition of citizens' groups led by the Mono Lake Committee began to look for solutions to save Mono Lake. Recognizing the scenic and biological values of the lake, they called into question the legality of the City's water diversions. Then in 1983, the State Courts ruled that the Public Trust Doctrine (protecting navigable bodies of water for all citizens) applied to Mono Lake. According to this law, "the human and environmental uses of Mono Lake... deserve to be taken into account. Such uses should not be destroyed because the state mistakenly thought itself powerless to protect them." California Supreme Court, 1983. In 1990, the court ordered that the LA Department of Water and Power's activities must comply with Fish and Game Code laws to protect fisheries in the creeks below the diversion points. To re-evaluate the City's water license, the State Water Resources Control Board collected data and testimony from scientists, citizens, organizations, and agencies. With this information, they then prepared a management plan for the lake. On September 28, 1994, ten years to the day after the Mono basin was designated as a National Forest Scenic Area, the Board decided that the lake must be raised to an elevation of 6,392 feet, which may take 20 years. This is 19 feet higher than in 1994, but 25 feet lower than when diversions began in 1941. All parties agreed to accept the plan and move forward in a spirit of cooperation outside of the courts. The Future: While the lake may be saved on paper, much remains to be done to actually realize this goal. The next challenge for all involved parties is to develop and implement a restoration plan for the Basin's streams and wetlands. Now the question is no longer whether Mono Lake will be saved, but how it will be saved. Mono Lake's future depends on our continued appreciation and support. Together, we can preserve this valuable legacy for future generations.
26. MONOLK_140717_127.JPG: South Tufa Trail: A Living Lake: Mono Lake is often described as an oasis in the desert. From here it may be hard to imagine the abundance of life in the lake and around its shore. The one-mile trail winds along the shoreline and among the tufa towers, surrounding you with the unusual beauty and productivity of this ancient inland sea. As you walk toward the water, notice the lake level markers along the trail. Mono Lake dropped more than 45 vertical feet between 1941, when the city of Los Angeles began diverting water from the streams that feed the lake, and 1982 when the lake reached its low stand. In fact, standing here in 1941 you would have been waist deep in the water!
27. MONOLK_140717_130.JPG: Basin and Range: Up and Down: Mono Lake lies at the western edge of a geographical region known as the Great Basin. The Basin drains over 500,000 square kilometers, approximately 1/5 of the Western United States. Water that settles here never flows to the ocean. Its only escape is evaporation, leaving dissolved salt and other minerals behind. From Mono Lake, you could travel east climbing over mountain range after mountain range. Between mountains, your journey would continue through vast stretches of sagebrush and alkali flats. A Long Walk From Here: Moving east across Nevada you would eventually reach the Great Salt Lake in Utah, a sister lake to Mono Lake. Great Salt Lake, like Mono Lake, had no outlet, and mirrors a similar geography along the western edge of the Rocky Mountains, the eastern boundary of the Great Basin. Both lakes harbor exceptionally productive ecosystems and provide critical migratory bird habitat.
28. MONOLK_140717_145.JPG: 6400 ft. Mono Lake elevation in 1959
29. MONOLK_140717_147.JPG: What's Hidden Beneath Your Feet? Flowing Underground: This may look like a dry spot, but water moves beneath your feet. Surface water sinks through this porous soil until it hits a hard rock layer, then it runs downhill toward the lake. A spring forms wherever this groundwater emerges. Tracking a Spring: Looking toward the lake you will see rows of cream-colored rock towers known as tufa. The towers reveal where springs once emerged beneath Mono Lake. (Remember, all the land you are walking over was once under water.) As the lake level dropped, the tufa towers were exposed and the springs that formed them dried up.
30. MONOLK_140717_169.JPG: Petrified Springs: How Water Makes Rock: When calcium-rich springs flow up through the lake bottom, the calcium bonds to carbonates in the lake water. Together they form calcium carbonate, a type of limestone. This solid material builds on itself, gradually forming a tufa tower. When the lake level drops, the exposed tufa stops growing. See for Yourself: When you reach the shoreline, look for underwater springs near existing tufa. The fresh water will look like vegetable oil swirling up in the salty lake water. When the lake has been calm for several days, you may see delicate new tufa crystals forming around these springs. Fragile Rock? Tufa may be rock but it is fragile; please help us to preserve it. Laws prohibit both climbing on tufa, and collecting it.
31. MONOLK_140717_184.JPG: Mandated Mono Lake Level: On September 28, 1994, the California State Water Resources Control Board set a target lake level of 6,392 feet, 25 feet below its 1941 level. The decision decreased water diversions by Los Angeles's Department of Water and Power (DWP) from four Mono Lake tributaries. The decision was made "in accord with the Court's mandate to protect public trust resources where feasible and the mandate of the California Constitution to maximize the reasonable and beneficial use of California's limited water resources." The Board also ordered DWP to prepare and implement plans to restore damaged streams and waterfowl habitat. When the lake reaches its mandated level of 6,392 feet, this panel will be at water's edge.
32. MONOLK_140717_189.JPG: 6,392 ft. Mono Lake elevation in 1963 Lake level mandated by 1994 California State Water Resourses [sic] Control Board decision to protect Mono Lake.
33. MONOLK_140717_205.JPG: Saltier Than The Sea: Recipe for a Lake: Dip your fingers into the water. It feels slippery. Put a little on your tongue. It tastes both salty and bitter. You are experiencing minerals washed into the lake by streams and springs. Two key ingredients are sodium chloride (table salt) and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). These and other minerals make Mono Lake 2.5 times saltier than the ocean and 100 times as alkaline. New Levels of Buoyancy: Mono Lake's mineral-rich water is much denser than fresh water, or even the ocean. This means objects float higher than normal. Gulls seem to have a difficult time keeping their feet in the water when they paddle. Fully loaded canoes float as if empty. Swimmers find it hard to sink! Although Mono Lake is far too alkaline for fish, its waters are full of other creatures.
34. MONOLK_140717_244.JPG: Life In The Inland Sea: Few Species: Great Abundance: Mono Lake's food chain is simple. Bacteria break down decaying matter, providing nutrients for tiny plants called algae. Brine shrimp and alkali flies eat the algae, and are themselves eaten by birds. Although there are few species, they are incredibly productive. Trillions of shrimp hatch yearly, providing food for millions of birds. Vital Yet Endangered: Abundance does not guarantee stability, however. A simple food chain is vulnerable to environmental damage. For instance, if the brine shrimp died out, huge flocks of birds would starve. The Mono Lake brine shrimp, a species unique to Mono Lake, and alkali flies have adapted to the lake's harsh chemistry over thousands of years. If that chemistry changes too much or too quickly, they will become extinct. For example, between 1941 (when stream diversions began) and 1941, Mono Lake lost half its volume of water and doubled in salinity. Research shows that as a salinity increases, the shrimp and alkali flies become less and less productive, until finally the species cannot continue to survive at Mono Lake.
35. MONOLK_140717_249.JPG: Alkali Flies: Underwater Flies: Mono Lake's flies have adapted to this highly alkaline environment in interesting ways. The adult fly walks down the tufa to feed and to lay eggs underwater. It carries enough air attached to its holy to stay down for 15 minutes. Once an egg hatches, the emergent larva grazes on algae, extracts oxygen from the lake water, and stores alkaline waste salt in a lime gland. The larva becomes a pupa, the final underwater stage. During this stage, the pups grow into an adult, breaks open the pupa case and pops to the surface as an adult to begin the feeding and breeding cycle again. Surprisingly Edible! All life stages of the fly are fair game for birds. The Kutza Dikaa people depended on the fly pupae as a food source. After the thin shells are removed, the pupae taste and look like nutty, buttery rice. Traditionally, the Kutza Dikaa traded this treasured food with tribes in Yosemite and the Eastern Sierra.
36. MONOLK_140717_258.JPG: Brine Shrimp: Always In Motion: If you stare into the lake during summer, you may see tiny creatures with black, beady eyes staring back at you. What you see is an ancient life form. These organisms evolved hundreds of millions of years ago and are the most primitive forms of crustaceans. Most of these brine shrimp live out their lives up grazers in the lake, midlevel in the food web. While their wiggly motion may not appeal to your appetite, birds thrive on brine shrimp. The swimming motion of the shrimp brings algae to their mouths, while their moving legs provide an effective surface for gas exchange and salt removal. Life Cycle: The brine shrimp you see today will not survive the coming winter. They often carry the eggs of their early summer broods in their brood pouches until they batch. Before they die, they begin producing overwintering eggs. These cysts sink and rest on the lake bottom where they enter a state of suspended animation. When the water begins to warm in the spring, development begins anew and the cysts hatch. The newly hatched shrimp will feed, grow and reproduce. The millions of birds that visit Mono Lake feast on these shrimp.
37. MONOLK_140717_326.JPG: Broken off pieces
38. MONOLK_140717_358.JPG: California Gulls: Life on the Inland Sea: In the spring and summer, clouds of California gulls float over Mono Lake. Up to 60,000 gulls, 80 percent of the state's population, return to Mono each year to nest and to raise their young. Negit Island once provided the primary nesting habitat. By 1979, when stream diversions had lowered the lake level dramatically, a land bridge formed between the mainland and the island, giving predators access to the rookery. This forced the guns to abandon the island and to crowd into smaller islets. Rising lake levels restored the island's protection, but the gulls have been slow to re-colonize. Ask a ranger how nesting is progressing on Negit Island today. California gull parents take turns foraging all day long. They return often to regurgitate huge numbers of brine shrimp and alkali flies into the mouths of their rapidly growing young. From July through September, watch for the grayish-brown immature gulls. By late fall, the gulls will leave to spend winter along the coast.
39. MONOLK_140717_364.JPG: Oasis in the Desert Walking on Water? Look around this inlet for the birds pictured here. From late June through August, you may glance up to see huge flock of Phalaropes flashing in the sun. By late October, Eared Grebes gather in such tremendous numbers that you could imagine walking across the water on their backs. Historically, over a million waterfowl visited Mono Lake; however, their populations have drastically declined with the loss of wetlands habitat as the lake level dropped. Currently, efforts are being made to restore these valuable estuaries in the hopes that Mono Lake may once again provide a haven for a variety of migratory birds. International Visitors: Nearly two million birds, including 100 different species, use Mono Lake as an "avian gas station" on their north-south migrations. Some travel from the Arctic all the way to the tip of South America! To recognize Mono Lake's international importance, the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network designated it as a reserve in 1991. Mono Lake has a sister reserve located at Laguna Mar Chiquita, Argentina, where some of Mono Lake's Wilson's Phalaropes winter. Through their flights, shorebirds remind us that international cooperation is crucial to the future of our shared biodiversity.
40. MONOLK_140717_376.JPG: The Future of An Ancient Lake: Undoing History: Mono Lake is nearly 3 million years in the making. Humans are last-minute arrivals on this scene. Yet, within the span of one human life, we pushed this lake to the edge of ecological collapse by diverting water from its tributary streams. Today we have begun to reverse the damage of the past, striking a balance that fulfills both the Public Trust values of the People of California and the water rights of the city of Los Angeles. Inheritance: At Mono Lake we have a healthy lake and a vital story to pass on to the next generation. The story reveals that solutions are possible, that water conservation and water recycling have a positive impact on our water resources. The fate of Mono and other lakes around the world is in our hands. Water connects us all. We hope you enjoyed your visit and encourage you to discover more of the Mono Basin on your own. Please sing the visitor register by the parking area. Thank you.
41. MONOLK_140717_389.JPG: 6410 ft. Mono Lake elevation in 1951 South Tufa Trail: A Living Lake: Mono Lake is often described as an oasis in the desert. From here it may be hard to imagine the abundance of life in the lake and around its shore. The one-mile trail winds along the shoreline and among the tufa towers, surrounding you with the unusual beauty and productivity of this ancient inland sea. As you walk toward the water, notice the lake level markers along the trail. Mono Lake dropped more than 45 vertical feet between 1941, when the city of Los Angeles began diverting water from the streams that feed the lake, and 1982 when the lake reached its low stand. In fact, standing here in 1941 you would have been waist deep in the water!
42. MONOLK_140717_403.JPG: Inyo National Forest Join us in the celebration of your National Forest Lands!
43. MONOLK_140717_409.JPG: Celebrating 100 Years 1907 2007 Establishment of the Inyo National Forest -- May 25, 1907 President T. Roosevelt established the Inyo National Forest by proclamation in 1907, setting aside 221,324 acres along the Owens Valley floor for the purpose of protecting islands needed to build the Los Angeles Aqueduct. In 1946, the Mono National Forest lands were divided and transferred to the Inyo and Toiyabe National Forests. In 1908, 1,521,107 acres were transferred from the Sierra National Forest to the Inyo National Forest. In 1911, 270,000 acres along the Owens River was withdrawn from the Inyo and in 1920, a major part of the Mt. Whitney Ranger District was transferred to the Inyo National Forest. Today, the Inyo National Forest is comprised 2.1 million acres and is a premier destination for recreation enthusiasts. 1908: A.H. Hogue became the first Forest Supervisor of the Inyo NF. 1908: Home Lumber Company pioneered commercial logging on the Inyo National Forest. 1912: The Inyo National Forest had 18 employees, 1,341,075 acres, and a total annual budget of $17,235. 1907 to 1930: Grazing issues and resource surveys dominated the Rangers' workload. 1933 to 1941: Civilian Conservation Corps played an integral role in developing infrastructure on the Inyo NF. 1964: Congress passes the "Wilderness Act of 1964" designating portions of the Inyo National Forest as the Minarets, later renamed Ansel Adams, and John Muir Wilderness Areas. 1978: Congress designates the headwaters of the Kern River as the Golden Trout Wilderness Area. 1984: Congress designates the Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area, the first such designation in the United States. 1989: Nevada's tallest peak and the surrounding area managed by the Inyo National Forest is designated by Congress as the Boundary Peak Wilderness Area. 1994: Congress designates the rugged range that separates Owens and Saline Valley as the Inyo Mountains Wilderness Area.
44. MONOLK_140717_413.JPG: This visitor center is dedicated to the memory of David Gaines. David, a prominent ornithologist, fell in love with Mono Lake when he began studying the bird life here. In 1978 he founded the Mono Lake Committee with the goal of preserving the Mono Lake ecosystem. He played a significant role in the designation of the Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area. David had a passion for teaching people and sharing the wonders of the Mono Basin. This visitor center will help accomplish this dream. David Gaines 1947-1988
45. MONOLK_140717_418.JPG: Obsidian: Commonly called volcanic glass, obsidian forms when the rhyolitic lava cools rapidly. Obsidian is chemically the same as pumice and is often mixed with it in the same rock. Unlike pumice, obsidian contained little dissolved gas when it cooled and did not form "bubbles." In the Scenic Area, obsidian is found in the Mono Craters.
46. MONOLK_140717_421.JPG: Pumice: Pumice is the name given to highly porous obsidian. It forms when a rhyolitic lava containing dissolved gases erupts on the surface. During eruptions, bubbles form in much the same way they do when a soda bottle is opened. Rapid cooling of the lava traps the bubbles before they can escape. Pumice can be found in the Mono Craters and on the ground over much of the Scenic Area. It has commercial value and is mined from the Mono Craters.
47. MONOLK_140717_428.JPG: Rhyolite: Volcanic rocks which are chemically similar to granite are called rhyolites. Unlike obsidian or pumice, "stony" appearing rhyolites have cooled slowly enough to contain very small quartz and feldspar crystals, and few if any gas bubbles. They are generally light colored rocks often white, light pink, or red and are banded, showing the effects of movement as they cooled. Rhyolites with this "stony" appearance can be found in the Mono Craters.
48. MONOLK_140717_434.JPG: Granite: Granite is the name often given to all light colored crystalline rocks. However, to be a true granite, the rock must have cooled very slowly, deep beneath the earth's surface, and contain visible crystals. Pieces of granite, eroded from the Sierra Nevada by glaciers and running water, have been deposited as cobbles and pebbles along Lee Vining and Rush Creeks.
49. MONOLK_140717_445.JPG: Water in the Mono Basin: When the Creeks Stopped: Mono Lake is fed by five streams flowing down from the Sierra Nevada. Their paths can be traced by lines of flush plant life winding through the sage-covered plains. Water draws wildlife -- the rattling call of the kingfisher and the trill of the dipper can be heard above the splashing cascades. These pure streams drew the attention of the city of Los Angeles in the 1920s. The city's Department of Water and Power (LADWP) was looking for additional source for its water supply. Through a lengthy court battle, they condemned the water rights of Mono Basin farmers. Eventually, they bought most of the watered land surrounding Mono Lake. In 1941, the aqueduct into the Mono Basin was completed, diverting part of the water from Rush, Lee Vining, Parker, and Walker creeks. With the flow of incoming fresh water reduced, Mono Lake began to shrink since water lost to evaporation now exceeded inflow. In 1970, the city doubled the capacity of their aqueduct system and began taking the entire flow of the Mono Basin creeks. The lake level dropped dramatically, falling as much as forty-five vertical feet. The decline caused Mono's water to double in salinity, threatening its simple, fragile ecosystem. The diverted creeks became dry washes. A Threatened Ecosystem: Biologists visiting the area noticed the impacts of the diversions on Mono's wildlife. The dropping lake level exposed a landbridge to island nesting areas allowing predator access. As the lake shrank, increasing salinity caused concerns that the brine shrimp and alkali flies -- which feed thousands of migratory birds -- would not survive. The once-famous trout fisheries in Mono's creeks were gone.
50. MONOLK_140717_448.JPG: When the Creeks Stopped: Mono Lake is fed by five streams flowing down from the Sierra Nevada. Their paths can be traced by lines of flush plant life winding through the sage-covered plains. Water draws wildlife -- the rattling call of the kingfisher and the trill of the dipper can be heard above the splashing cascades. These pure streams drew the attention of the city of Los Angeles in the 1920s. The city's Department of Water and Power (LADWP) was looking for additional source for its water supply. Through a lengthy court battle, they condemned the water rights of Mono Basin farmers. Eventually, they bought most of the watered land surrounding Mono Lake. In 1941, the aqueduct into the Mono Basin was completed, diverting part of the water from Rush, Lee Vining, Parker, and Walker creeks. With the flow of incoming fresh water reduced, Mono Lake began to shrink since water lost to evaporation now exceeded inflow. In 1970, the city doubled the capacity of their aqueduct system and began taking the entire flow of the Mono Basin creeks. The lake level dropped dramatically, falling as much as forty-five vertical feet. The decline caused Mono's water to double in salinity, threatening its simple, fragile ecosystem. The diverted creeks became dry washes.
51. MONOLK_140717_450.JPG: A Threatened Ecosystem: Biologists visiting the area noticed the impacts of the diversions on Mono's wildlife. The dropping lake level exposed a landbridge to island nesting areas allowing predator access. As the lake shrank, increasing salinity caused concerns that the brine shrimp and alkali flies -- which feed thousands of migratory birds -- would not survive. The once-famous trout fisheries in Mono's creeks were gone.
52. MONOLK_140717_452.JPG: The Struggle Continues: Take It To The Judge: Among the concerned biologists was David Gaines. In 1978, he and friends formed the Mono Lake Committee. the Committee's goal was to find alternatives to excessive diversions in order to stabilize the lake level. When LADWP refused to negotiate a solution, the Mono Lake Committee, National Audubon Society, California Trout, and others went to court. In an effort to win protection for Mono Lake, the Mono Lake Committee lobbied successfully for the creation of the Mono Lake Tufa State Reserve in 1981, and the Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area in 1984. The court battles over Mono lake and its streams could fill a library. The litigation has challenged and changed the interpretation of California's water laws. The pivotal case is based on a doctrine called the "public trust." It requires the state to protect bodies of water for the use and benefit of the people. In 1983, the California Supreme Court ruled that the public trust doctrine required the protection of places like Mono Lake, even if this meant reconsidering past water allocations. The court said a "better balance" should be struck between the water needs of Mono Lake and Los Angeles. Determining was this "balance" should be has required over a decade of on-going legal action and negotiation. It fell to the California State Water Resources Control Board to determine how this balance would be met, but before their well-researched decision was released, two important legal events occurred. The first was a court order directing LADWP to stop diverting water until the lake rose to an elevation of 6,377 feet -- the minimum level the court felt was necessary for the ecological health of the lake. Then in 1989, the courts also ruled that LADWP's diversion licenses were invalid because they violated Fish and Game codes which protected fisheries below diversion points. The licenses had to be reissued with requirements that water must continuously flow in all creeks. LADWP was ordered to restore the fisheries to their pre-diversion (1941) conditions. On September 28, 1994 -- the tenth anniversary of the creation of the Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area -- the State Water Resources Control Board released its decision regarding Mono Lake. The order will raise the lake by 17 feet to an elevation of 6,392 over the next 20-30 years. All parties involved have agreed to accept the decision and move forward (outside the courts) in a spirit of cooperation. Hearing officer for the state board, Marc Del Picro said, "Let this be known as the day we saved Mono Lake." While the lake may be "saved" on paper, much remains to be done to implement the extensive restoration work ordered by the decision. The Forest Service will be one of the interested parties working out the details of how to restore the creeks and wetlands of the Mono Basin during the coming decades. The Search for Solutions: Although Mono Lake's supporters and the Department of Water and Power have yet to reach an agreement, progress has been made. Concerned parties have met periodically to discuss out-of-court solutions such as water conservation and reclamation. We all can be part of the solution. Enough water to preserve placed like Mono Lake could be saved each year through water recycling projects and public education. By supporting water conservation and reclamation in our communities we encourage wise water use. We save money and energy, and the natural world benefits too. The creeks are flowing again. Birds and fish, willows and pines, rice grass and flowers are returning. Sometimes a kingfisher can be seen flying overhead with a sparkling trout -- proof that if people care enough, the beauty and health of the land can be restored. "Walking Lee Vining Creek, I have sometimes thought of myself as a stream, newly reborn, just beginning to grow. I can feel the icy water over me. I can feel the tender plants sprouting on my banks. I can feel deer, heron and bobcat leave their tracks on my shores. We are these streams, this lake, this land..." -- David Gaines, Mono Lake Newsletter, Winter, 1987
53. MONOLK_140717_455.JPG: Take It To The Judge: Among the concerned biologists was David Gaines. In 1978, he and friends formed the Mono Lake Committee. the Committee's goal was to find alternatives to excessive diversions in order to stabilize the lake level. When LADWP refused to negotiate a solution, the Mono Lake Committee, National Audubon Society, California Trout, and others went to court. In an effort to win protection for Mono Lake, the Mono Lake Committee lobbied successfully for the creation of the Mono Lake Tufa State Reserve in 1981, and the Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area in 1984. The court battles over Mono lake and its streams could fill a library. The litigation has challenged and changed the interpretation of California's water laws. The pivotal case is based on a doctrine called the "public trust." It requires the state to protect bodies of water for the use and benefit of the people. In 1983, the California Supreme Court ruled that the public trust doctrine required the protection of places like Mono Lake, even if this meant reconsidering past water allocations. The court said a "better balance" should be struck between the water needs of Mono Lake and Los Angeles. Determining was this "balance" should be has required over a decade of on-going legal action and negotiation. It fell to the California State Water Resources Control Board to determine how this balance would be met, but before their well-researched decision was released, two important legal events occurred. The first was a court order directing LADWP to stop diverting water until the lake rose to an elevation of 6,377 feet -- the minimum level the court felt was necessary for the ecological health of the lake. Then in 1989, the courts also ruled that LADWP's diversion licenses were invalid because they violated Fish and Game codes which protected fisheries below diversion points. The licenses had to be reissued with requirements that water must continuously flow in all creeks. LADWP was ordered to restore the fisheries to their pre-diversion (1941) conditions. On September 28, 1994 -- the tenth anniversary of the creation of the Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area -- the State Water Resources Control Board released its decision regarding Mono Lake. The order will raise the lake by 17 feet to an elevation of 6,392 over the next 20-30 years. All parties involved have agreed to accept the decision and move forward (outside the courts) in a spirit of cooperation. Hearing officer for the state board, Marc Del Picro said, "Let this be known as the day we saved Mono Lake." While the lake may be "saved" on paper, much remains to be done to implement the extensive restoration work ordered by the decision. The Forest Service will be one of the interested parties working out the details of how to restore the creeks and wetlands of the Mono Basin during the coming decades.
54. MONOLK_140717_457.JPG: The Search for Solutions: Although Mono Lake's supporters and the Department of Water and Power have yet to reach an agreement, progress has been made. Concerned parties have met periodically to discuss out-of-court solutions such as water conservation and reclamation. We all can be part of the solution. Enough water to preserve placed like Mono Lake could be saved each year through water recycling projects and public education. By supporting water conservation and reclamation in our communities we encourage wise water use. We save money and energy, and the natural world benefits too. The creeks are flowing again. Birds and fish, willows and pines, rice grass and flowers are returning. Sometimes a kingfisher can be seen flying overhead with a sparkling trout -- proof that if people care enough, the beauty and health of the land can be restored. "Walking Lee Vining Creek, I have sometimes thought of myself as a stream, newly reborn, just beginning to grow. I can feel the icy water over me. I can feel the tender plants sprouting on my banks. I can feel deer, heron and bobcat leave their tracks on my shores. We are these streams, this lake, this land..." -- David Gaines, Mono Lake Newsletter, Winter, 1987
55. MONOLK_140717_459.JPG: Lake Elevation History: 1941: In 1941, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power began diverting water from four of the six streams that fed Mono lake dropping the lake level 45 feet over several decades and affecting the lake's fragile ecosystem. 1978: In 1978, the Mono Lake Committee was founded with a goal of limited diversions and protecting Mono Lake. 1982: The lowest level the lake reached was in 1982 at nearly half its pre diversion volume and twice the salinity. 1994: In September of 1994, the State Water Resources Control Board decided to limit future diversions and maintain Mono Lake at an average elevation of 6392 feet. 1999: Currently, the lake stands at an elevation thirteen feet higher than its historic low and has risen one and a half feet in the past year. SWRCB Decision: It is estimated that it will take fifteen to twenty years of precipitation to raise the lake an additional seven feet to the state mandated level.
56. MONOLK_140717_462.JPG: Restoration and Recovery: Restoration ecology is the emerging science of repairing damaged habitats by approximating their natural processes and functions. At Mono Lake the key restoration strategy is based on restoring stream flow and raising the level of the lake, but "saving Mono Lake" requires additional tactics. The California State Water Resources Control Board also ordered the damaged resources be restored. The State Water Board objectives are to "restore, preserve, and protect the streams and fisheries... and to help mitigate for the loss of waterfowl habitat due to diversions..." The actions outlined in Los Angeles Department of Water and Power's restoration plans are designed to reinstate natural processes and habitat conditions. The most important action is providing the streams with variable flows that simulate the streams' natural fluctuations, which include periodic flooding. These floods eventually will raise the level of Mono Lake to an average level of 6,392 feet. Can Mono Lake be fully restored? Mono Lake's historic landscapes were living, dynamic ecosystems that will be difficult to re-create. Some of the processes are conditions of the historic landscape have been permanently lost or cannot be naturally restored. For this reason, certain "helping hand" activities such as tree planting, enhancing freshwater ponds and developing a burn program may help mitigate specific habitat losses. The State Water board's decision is a compromise: although the lake level will rise as much as 17 feet above its recent low point in 1994, it will stabilize at about 25 feet below its pre-diversion level in 1941. A "natural" balance will never be restored since water will continue to be diverted to Los Angeles. Nonetheless, many of the Basin's damaged resources should recover substantially. The streamflows outlined in the plan are expected to re-introduce channel complexity and dynamic functions that will support healthy fisheries and adjacent cottonwood-willow riparian forests. Mono Lake will rise, stabilize and fluctuate during wet and dry climatic cycles as it once did. Tracking recovery, adapting the plans: Monitoring plays a key role in Mono Basin restoration. Scientists will annually monitor the progress of stream restoration efforts and the effects of waterfowl habitat improvements around the lake. The information they gather will be used to recommend changes in the restoration program should it not be progressing satisfactorily toward agreed upon restoration objectives. This approach to managing the process -- called adaptive management -- allows flexibility in restoring a complex natural system. Since nature does not always conform to human imposed objectives, restoration is a continually evolving process. How long will it take? It will take 20 to 50 years for mature forests to re-grow along the streams, but already there is a dramatic change. Young trees are growing vigorously and wet-loving wild rose is out-competing sagebrush. Some resources will not be restored. For example, Rush Creek cut down through the Rush Creek delta as the lake level dropped. The stream channel cannot be brought back to its former level on the delta. Instead, the lake will rise and fill the downcut stream channel, creating an embayment -- a "ria" -- at the mouth of the stream. There will be new, different resource values associated with the ria. Monitoring: Monitoring is a means of tracking progress and providing information for making changes, if needed, to restoration.
57. MONOLK_140717_465.JPG: Restoration ecology is the emerging science of repairing damaged habitats by approximating their natural processes and functions. At Mono Lake the key restoration strategy is based on restoring stream flow and raising the level of the lake, but "saving Mono Lake" requires additional tactics. The California State Water Resources Control Board also ordered the damaged resources be restored. The State Water Board objectives are to "restore, preserve, and protect the streams and fisheries... and to help mitigate for the loss of waterfowl habitat due to diversions..." The actions outlined in Los Angeles Department of Water and Power's restoration plans are designed to reinstate natural processes and habitat conditions. The most important action is providing the streams with variable flows that simulate the streams' natural fluctuations, which include periodic flooding. These floods eventually will raise the level of Mono Lake to an average level of 6,392 feet. Can Mono Lake be fully restored? Mono Lake's historic landscapes were living, dynamic ecosystems that will be difficult to re-create. Some of the processes are conditions of the historic landscape have been permanently lost or cannot be naturally restored. For this reason, certain "helping hand" activities such as tree planting, enhancing freshwater ponds and developing a burn program may help mitigate specific habitat losses. The State Water board's decision is a compromise: although the lake level will rise as much as 17 feet above its recent low point in 1994, it will stabilize at about 25 feet below its pre-diversion level in 1941. A "natural" balance will never be restored since water will continue to be diverted to Los Angeles. Nonetheless, many of the Basin's damaged resources should recover substantially. The streamflows outlined in the plan are expected to re-introduce channel complexity and dynamic functions that will support healthy fisheries and adjacent cottonwood-willow riparian forests. Mono Lake will rise, stabilize and fluctuate during wet and dry climatic cycles as it once did. Tracking recovery, adapting the plans: Monitoring plays a key role in Mono Basin restoration. Scientists will annually monitor the progress of stream restoration efforts and the effects of waterfowl habitat improvements around the lake. The information they gather will be used to recommend changes in the restoration program should it not be progressing satisfactorily toward agreed upon restoration objectives. This approach to managing the process -- called adaptive management -- allows flexibility in restoring a complex natural system. Since nature does not always conform to human imposed objectives, restoration is a continually evolving process.
58. MONOLK_140717_468.JPG: How long will it take? It will take 20 to 50 years for mature forests to re-grow along the streams, but already there is a dramatic change. Young trees are growing vigorously and wet-loving wild rose is out-competing sagebrush. Some resources will not be restored. For example, Rush Creek cut down through the Rush Creek delta as the lake level dropped. The stream channel cannot be brought back to its former level on the delta. Instead, the lake will rise and fill the downcut stream channel, creating an embayment -- a "ria" -- at the mouth of the stream. There will be new, different resource values associated with the ria. Monitoring: Monitoring is a means of tracking progress and providing information for making changes, if needed, to restoration.
59. MONOLK_140717_476.JPG: Mono Craters: 40,000 years ago, the site of the Mono Craters was virtually flat. A series of eruptions, some occurring as recently as 650 years ago, created this mountain range, the youngest in North America. Panum, the youngest and easiest to explore of the craters, is located off Highway 120 East on an unimproved dirt road. Trails leading around Panum's rim and up its dome invite visitors on geologic adventures. Because the pumice sand surrounding the Mono Craters is extremely soft, many roads require four-wheel drive vehicles. Please use caution.
60. MONOLK_140717_482.JPG: South Tufa: With its spectacular limestone tufa formations and easy lakeshore access, South Tufa is the best place to begin your exploration of Mono Lake. Walk through a grove of tufa towers formed by underwater springs in the saline and alkaline lake. A self-guided trail will help you understand Mono lake's unusual water, rocks, and wildlife. Drive 5 miles south on US 395, turn left on Hwy 120 East and follow the signs to South Tufa.
61. MONOLK_140717_485.JPG: Lee Vining Creek: Beyond this bluff, you can see Lee Vining Creek flowing into Mono Lake. For decades, most of the creek's flow was diverted to the city of Los Angeles. The plant and animal life that depended on the water died off. In the early 1990s, the state ordered that the creek's fishery be restored to its pre-diversion condition. Restoration has included releasing more water down the creekbed, rebuilding stream channels and pools, and replanting native trees.
62. MONOLK_140717_492.JPG: Volcanic Islands: Paoha, the larger of the two islands, does not look volcanic because its surface is composed of lake bottom sediments. About 300 years ago, magma rose underneath the lake and pushed these sediments above the water level. Negit, the black island, was formed by volcanic eruptions that occurred between 300 and 1,700 years ago. Negit once hosted most of the state's nesting California gulls. When the land bridge emerged in 1977, most gulls moved to nearby islets to escape predators that could reach their nests.
63. MONOLK_140717_495.JPG: Volcanic Islands
64. MONOLK_140717_499.JPG: Land Bridge: Can you see a white expand between Black Point and Negit Island? Before the City of Los Angeles began diverting Mono Basin streams in 1941, nearly two miles of water separated Negit from the mainland. When Mono Lake's water level dropped below 6,377 feet, the land bridge was exposed allowing coyotes and other predators to reach the gull colonies during the nesting season. This stretch of lake bottom has been a source of dust storms during windy weather. In 1994, the State Water Resources Control Board decision mandated that Mono Lake would be managed at 6,392 feet, ultimately submerging this problematic stretch of old lake bottom.
65. MONOLK_140717_506.JPG: Land bridge
66. MONOLK_140717_509.JPG: Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network Shorebirds link international conservation efforts. Through their flights shorebirds remind us that international cooperation is crucial to the future of our shared resources. Shorebirds Need Protection: Many animals migrate over broad fronts. Shorebirds are unique: they concentrate in great numbers at a few irreplaceable locations along their route. At each key wetland, enormous numbers of birds, even entire populations, are present at one time, at risk to environmental threats. Until the turn of the 20th century, hunters also gathered at these key areas, shooting so many shorebirds that some of the species nearly became extinct. Today a new threat exists: devastating habitat loss. More than half the wetlands once present in the United States have been destroyed or altered. Some shorebird species have declined by sixty to eighty percent during the last two decades. Eighty kinds of shorebirds are found in the New World including avoets, oyster catchers, plovers, curlews, godwits, and sandpipers. Many undertake extraordinary migrations with some birds traveling up to 15,000 miles. Stopover sites, such as this one, are critical feeding and resting places where individuals fuel up to continue this journey. At each stopover area, shorebirds need to find enough food to fuel the journey ahead. Some more than double in weight, storing fat to be used as fuel on their long flight. Their flights may last up to 70 hours, passing over an entire ocean or continent. Why a Network? For shorebirds, critical migration sites form a chain from northern breeding grounds in the Canadian Arctic to wintering places on remote coasts and wetlands of South America. The Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN) is an international cooperative program helping to protect key shorebird sites throughout the hemisphere. International recognized, WHSRN sites provide strong support for local conservation efforts and management. WHSRN works closely with national organizations throughout the Americas.
67. MONOLK_140717_514.JPG: Mono Lake: An International Reserve for Shorebirds Tapestry of Life: Mono Lake's vital role in preserving a corridor of shorebird habitats is recognized in its designation as an International Reserve in the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network. The Network coordinates the efforts of private and governmental organizations to protect shorebirds and the wetlands they depend on. For nearly 2,000,000 waterbirds, including 35 species of shorebirds, Mono Lake is an "oasis in the desert." Shorebirds dependent on Mono Lake include the graceful avocets, skittish killdeer, perfectly camouflaged snowy plovers, and sandpipers, who you may see scurrying along Mono's shores. Several species for frequent flyers visit Mono Lake on their yearly migrations, including over 1.5 million eared grebes and phalaropes. Both Wilson's and red-necked phalaropes depend on Mono's abundant food for their long distance journeys from the arctic tundra to the southern hemisphere. Mono Lake is an essential thread in a "tapestry of life" that has endured for thousands of years. Currently many threads in these patterns are unraveling. Habitat damage is so extensive that California has lost over 90 percent of its wetlands. Several of the lakes and migratory stops in the Great Basin have been seriously compromised. The network's cooperative efforts to protect millions of shorebirds unites countries in a global effort to maintain the earth's biodiversity and highlights Mono Lake's international responsibility. Wilson's Philaropes: Look for spectacular flocks of phalaropes gliding gracefully over the lake from July through September. Every summer tens of thousands of philaropes arrive at Mono Lake from their nesting grounds where the resplendent females have actively courted the males. After they lay the eggs, the females are on this wing toward South America, while the males are left behind to tend the nest. After raising the young, the males fly south, leaving the chicks to fend for themselves. Later, without the adults, the juveniles instinctively find their way to Mono Lake. The phalaropes use Mono Lake's abundant food to prepare for their marathon flights lasting three days and two nights. These two-ounce birds fly non-stop across the ocean to the saline lakes of South America, such as our sister reserve in Argentina, Laguna Mar Chiquita.
68. MONOLK_140717_525.JPG: Black Point: Black Point, a volcano that erupted underwater, is an unusual sight on dry land! The eruption that spewed out this pile of black cinders occurred under a much deeper Mono Lake during one of the Mono Basin's many ice ages. As the climate warmed and Mono Lake shrank, Black Point was exposed. Its sharp cinders are minded and scattered on roads during winter to provide traction on slippery ice.
69. MONOLK_140717_530.JPG: County Park: Located along a small stream and shaded by cottonwoods, County Park provides a soothing break from the summer sun. In a dry climate, wet areas like this park are extremely important for wildlife. Like humans, animals and birds need a place to drink, bathe and rest. A boardwalk leads through birding areas and meadows of wildflowers to the lakeshore. Drive north on US 395 for 4 miles and turn right on Cemetery Road.
70. MONOLK_140717_533.JPG: Old Marina: Below you on the western shore of Mono Lake lies the site of Old Marina. Before water diversions from the lake's inflowing streams lowered the lake level by over 40 vertical feet, the marina was a focal point of lakeside recreation. Swimming, speed boat racing, and bathing beauty contests were common events at the Old Marina. If you would like to discover the remnants of the marina's past, drive north on US 395 for 1 mile to the parking area on your right. Reductions in water diversions are allowing the lake to rise again -- perhaps the marina will experience a revival some day.
71. MONOLK_140717_539.JPG: Changing Lake Levels: Look toward the western mountains -- do you see faint terraces on the pine-covered slopes? These terraces are ancient Ice Age shorelines formed when Mono Lake was much deeper than today. Since that time, natural climactic changes have caused the lake to drop slowly. However, between 1941 and the early 1990s, the lake level declined rapidly due to human-caused water diversions from the streams that feed the lake. This most recent drop in lake level can be seen as a wide band of dusty white alkali encircling the lake.
72. MONOLK_140717_559.JPG: Mono Basin: Land of Contrasts "A country of wonderful contrasts, hot deserts bounded by snowladen mountains, cinders and ashes scattered on glacier polished pavement, frost and fire working together in the making of beauty." -- John Muir 1869 The Mono Basin is truly a land of contrasts and discoveries. The Exhibit Hall is a good place to begin your exploration.
73. MONOLK_140717_569.JPG: How Water Enters Mono Lake: "Half a dozen little mountain brooks flow into Mono Lake, but not a stream of any kind flows out of it. It neither rises or falls, apparently, and what is done with its surplus water is a dark and bloody mystery." -- Mark Twain, 1872 Although Mono Lake has no outlet, about 45 vertical inches (115 cm) of water is lost each year to evaporation in this dry climate. Freshwater in-flow is critical to replace this loss and maintain a healthy ecosystem. Streams: Five streams, fed by the Sierra snowpack, provide most of the freshwater flowing into Mono Lake.
74. MONOLK_140717_571.JPG: "Half a dozen little mountain brooks flow into Mono Lake, but not a stream of any kind flows out of it. It neither rises or falls, apparently, and what is done with its surplus water is a dark and bloody mystery." -- Mark Twain, 1872 Although Mono Lake has no outlet, about 45 vertical inches (115 cm) of water is lost each year to evaporation in this dry climate. Freshwater in-flow is critical to replace this loss and maintain a healthy ecosystem.
75. MONOLK_140717_573.JPG: Petrified Springs: Mono Lake's "petrified springs" are spectacular examples of what nature can do with a few basic ingredients. Ask geologists what "tufa" is and they will tell you "it's calcium carbonate formed by the mixing of waters of different compositions." Tufa gets its name from the Latin "tofus" which means porous stone. Tufa forms underwater in Mono Lake.
76. MONOLK_140717_582.JPG: How Tufa Forms: Freshwater springs (calcium) + alkaline water (carbonates) = tufa (calcium carbonate) Calcium-bearing freshwater springs well up through the carbonate-rich lake water causing a chemical reaction that forms solid limestone, or tufa. Over many years, a tower forms around a spring. Tufa continues to form today where freshwater and lake water meet.
77. MONOLK_140717_584.JPG: "On rowing over these submerged springs we find that some of them rise from the tops of tufa crags which are covered by ten or twelve feet of water." -- Israel Russell, 1889
78. MONOLK_140717_586.JPG: Lithoid Tufa: This is the first tufa you will see around the lakeshore. It occurs as thin spires, bulbous knobs, slab-like sidewalks, and boulder coatings.
79. MONOLK_140717_588.JPG: Ice Age Tufa: Cemented Crystals Look at the lattice of crystals in this ice age tufa called thinolite. It grew beneath the waters of ice age Mono Lake about 13,000 years ago. Tufa formed more recently doesn't have this crystalline structure.
80. MONOLK_140717_591.JPG: Sand Tufa: Why so different? When tufa forms within the sandy lake bottom, sand grains become cemented together in tube-like shapes. As the formations are exposed by declining lake levels, the surrounding sand is blown or washed away, leaving these intricate and fragile shapes. When visiting the sand tufa, please don't touch, but do feel the sandpaper here to get an idea of sand tufa's texture.
81. MONOLK_140717_594.JPG: Strange Waters: "... its sluggish waters are so strong with alkali that if you only dip the most hopelessly soiled garment into them once or twice and wring it out, it will be found as clean as if it had been through the ablest of washerwoman's hands." -- Mark Twain, 1872 Today the water in Mono Lake is 2-1/2 times saltier and 1000 times more alkaline that the ocean. Streams crossing ancient seabeds and volcanic deposits carry salts and carbonates into the lake. Since Mono Lake has no outlet, the salts and carbonates become more concentrated as water evaporates.
82. MONOLK_140717_599.JPG: Flies That Walk Under Water: "... we can see a belt of flies an inch deep and six feet wide, and this belt extends clear around the lake -- a belt of flies one-hundred miles long." -- Mark Twain, 1872 The above quote could easily discourage visitors from venturing down to the lakeshore. But there is no need for concern as alkali flies have no interest in landing on people or their picnic lunches. Also, fly numbers have dwindled since Mark Twain's day. An important source of food for shorebirds, the alkali fly is a fascinating creature.
83. MONOLK_140717_602.JPG: Pupa Stage -- Mature larvae attach themselves to underwater rocks or tufa and change into an encased pupa stage. They remain for 1-3 weeks until they emerge as adult flies. Adult Alkali Flies -- Upon emerging, the adults float to the surface to fly along Mono Lake's shoreline. They often crawl to the lake bottom, wearing their bubble of air, to feed or to lay eggs. Eggs -- Breathing air trapped around their hairy bodies, the "scuba tank" laden adult female flies crawl under water and deposit their eggs on rocks or tufa. While maturing, the eggs must be constantly bathed with oxygen-rich water. Larval Stages -- Larvae crawl over rocks, floating mats, mud, and tufa seeking food. The cooling temperature of fall cause all forms of the alkali fly to slow development. They will again await the warmth of spring to become active and renew the cycle of life.
84. MONOLK_140717_604.JPG: Fresh Water vs. Lake Water: Mono Lake water is different from that of most other California lakes. Here is what you would have to add to the water from Lake Tahoe to make Mono's waters: TO a quart of water add: * 2-1/2 tablespoons of table salt (chloride) * 1-1/2 tablespoons of baking soda (carbonate) * 2 tablespoons of epsom salt (sulfate) * a pinch of borax * a pinch of detergent Is it any wonder that fish don't live in this water? Isn't it amazing that anything does?
85. MONOLK_140717_607.JPG: Mono's Own Shrimp: In summer, trillions of brine shrimp ply Mono's waters. Their colorful bodies move through the water as feathery appendages to help them gather food. Adapted to the unique water of Mono Lake, these shrimp would not survive elsewhere and brine shrimp from other locations could not survive here. In 1872, Mark Twain said of Mono Lake's brine shrimp -- "No living thing exists under the surface, except a white feathery sort of worm.. which looks like bits of thread frayed out at the sides."
86. MONOLK_140717_612.JPG: In summer, trillions of brine shrimp ply Mono's waters. Their colorful bodies move through the water as feathery appendages to help them gather food. Adapted to the unique water of Mono Lake, these shrimp would not survive elsewhere and brine shrimp from other locations could not survive here. In 1872, Mark Twain said of Mono Lake's brine shrimp -- "No living thing exists under the surface, except a white feathery sort of worm.. which looks like bits of thread frayed out at the sides."
87. MONOLK_140717_617.JPG: A Small Sample of the Life at Mono Lake: So you thought when visiting Mono Lake you were going to have shrimp for dinner? Look again with one of the magnifying lenses. The brine shrimp of Mono Lake are not quite what most people think they are going to find here. Look closely. Can you see the egg sack on the female brine shrimp? Can you identify the male brine shrimp by the claspers or pinchers on the front of his body? They look a bit like a handlebar mustache. How many different colors of brine shrimp can you find? Now look for the alkali fly larvae. They are the wormlike creatures crawling around searching for a tasty meal of algae. Are there any adult alkali flies in the tank today?
88. MONOLK_140717_625.JPG: When Eared Grebes arrive at Mono Lake during their fall migration, they weigh approximately 10 ounces (390 grams). While here, they eat about 15% of their bodyweight each day, feasting on tasty alkali flies and brine shrimp. This means they consume several hundred brine shrimp a day! Now that's a lot of shrimp... and some very busy grebes. If you were migrating through the area and needed to eat 15% of your bodyweight a day, how many one pound loaves of bread would you have to eat? The stack of bread you see here would be about 15% of a 150 pound (68 kg) person. If you weigh 60 pounds (27 kg), could you eat 8 or 9 loaves of bread a day?
89. MONOLK_140717_633.JPG: Lee Vining The name of this community honors LeRoy Vining. In 1852 Lt. Tredwell Moore and soldiers of the 2nd Infantry pursued Indians of Chief Tenaya's tribe from Yosemite across the Sierra via Bloody Canyon. They took back mineral samples and a prospecting party was organized. In this group were the Vinings, Lee & Dick, who established a camp at what is now Lee Vining Creek. Plaque dedicated September 8, 1979 Bodie Chapter of E Clampus Vitus
90. MONOLK_140717_637.JPG: Mono Lake: A Struggle of Water and Conscience: Oasis in the Desert: Were you surprised to see a huge lake filling this desert basin? Mono Lake is an ancient inland sea, an oasis for over a million migrating and nesting birds. Although the importance of Mono Lake to birds and other wildlife is now well known, this was not always the case. A Fading Oasis: In 1941, the City of Los Angeles extended its aqueduct system into the Mono Basin, diverting water from four of the six mountain streams that feed Mono Lake. Without the fresh water from the streams, the lake lost more to evaporation than it gained. Mono dropped nearly fifty vertical feet, shrinking to half its volume. The streams were often dry. These drastic changes impacted the health of the whole ecosystem. Changing Perspectives: Although the negative ecological impacts were great, the city's actions were considered legal at the time. When the scenic and biological values of Mono Lake were realized, the legality of the city's excessive water diversions came into question. State courts rules that a better balance needed to be struck between the needs of the city and the needs of the natural world. In 1994, the California State Water Board ordered that the lake be raised 17 feet to an elevation of 6392 over the next 20-30 years, and required extensive restoration of Mono Basin streams and wetlands. Although human action has harmed Mono Lake's ecosystem in the past, now we are part of the healing process through restoration work. Aldo Leopold's vision of the land ethic is being applied in the restoration of Mono Lake and its streams. "A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise." -- Aldo Leopold
91. MONOLK_140717_643.JPG: Changing Views of Wildlands: Lee Vining Canyon Scenic Byway A Scenic Tour: Welcome to the Lee Vining Canyon Scenic Byway. This historic road traverses one of the most dramatic passes in the Sierra. Along the way are a series of turnouts and information signs. Look for these markers. From Conquerors to Caretakers: The interpretative signs at each turnout describe the natural and cultural history of the wildlands around you. The signs also reveal how our country's attitudes toward wildlands have changed over time. Early settlers often viewed wildland as an adversary to be conquered. As the nation matured, Americans began to realize that they needed wildland, not just for its resources, but also for its beauty and our own health. Pioneer conservtionist Aldo Leopold called this change in thinking the development of a "land ethic" in American culture. Through his words we explore how this change is coming about. We hope you enjoy your journey through the Inyo National Forest wildlands in Lee Vining Canyon. "There is as yet no ethnic dealing with man's relation to land and to the animals and plants which grow upon it... The land-relation is still strictly economic, entailing privileges but not obligations." -- Aldo Leopold
92. MONOLK_140717_653.JPG: Lee Vining: From Alfalfa Field to International Waystation A Young Town Above An Old Lake: Just across the creek to the north lies the little town of Lee Vining. As towns go in this country, Lee Vining is a youngster, subdivided in 1926 from Chris Mattley's alfalfa field. Today tens of thousands of visitors from every state in the United States and over a hundred different countries visit the Mono Basin each year. The Search for a Name: At first the little town was called "Lakeview." When the townspeople applied for a post office they were told that another town beat them to the name. On second try, they chose a name that nobody else would have -- Lee Vining. Leroy Vining was one of the first settlers in the Mono Basin. He arrived around 1852 and established himself about two miles upstream from here on what became known as "Vining's Creek." Lee Vining built a sawmill and sold lumber in the mining town of Aurora. He came to an untimely end when he accidentally shot himself with his own revolver while exiting an Aurora saloon.
93. MONOLK_140717_656.JPG: Aldo Leopold: Revealing the Land Ethic Learning from the Land: In 1909, Aldo Leopold graduated from Yale University and began working for the Forest Service. Over the next fifteen years in the field, Leopold's understanding of the natural world expanded dramatically. As an avid hunter he had assumed that predators such as wolves needed to be killed in order to protect game species like deer. Over time, as he watched the interactions between the species, he realized that nature was not so simple and that his human-centered assumptions could be wrong. A Natural Conscience: Leopold became a student of the land. His open-minded observations and research background led him to the pioneering study of the science of ecology. Several of his most famous essays are collected in A Sand County Almanac, now considered a classic of natural history literature. Leopold wrote eloquently of a concept he called "the land ethic." He stated, "There is yet no ethic dealing with man's relation to the land and to the animals and plants which grow upon it..." Leopold considered it his life work to reveal such an ethic, "...a land ethic changes the role of Homo Sapiens from conqueror of the land community to plan members and citizens of it. It implies respect for his fellow members, and also respect for the community as such." Leopold's words can be found on each sign along the Lee Vining Canyon Scenic Byway tour. They remind us that only if we take care of the land, can the land continue to take care of us. "We reached the old wold in time to watch a fierce green fire dying in her eyes. I realized then, and have known ever since, that there was something new to me in those eyes - something known only to her and to the mountain. I was young then, and full of trigger itch; I thought that because fewer wolves meant more deer, that no wolves meant hunter's paradise. But after seeing the green fire die, I sensed that neither the wolf nor the mountain agreed with such a view." -- Aldo Leopold, excerpt from "Thinking Like a Mountain," 1949 Also Leopold worked as a ranger on the Carson National Forest, New Mexico circa 1911. His passion for wild country led the Forest Service to designate the country's first wilderness area - the Gila Wilderness in New Mexico, 1924.
Wikipedia Description: Mono Lake
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mono Lake is an alkaline and hypersaline lake in Mono County, California. It has an unusually productive ecosystem, and is a critical nesting habitat for several bird species. ...

Conservation efforts:

In order to provide resources for the growing Los Angeles area, water was diverted from the Owens River. In 1941 the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power extended an aqueduct system into the Mono Basin. So much water was diverted that evaporation soon exceeded inflow and the surface level of Mono Lake fell rapidly. By 1982 the lake was reduced to 37,688 acres (15,251.8 ha) having lost 31 percent of its 1941 surface area. As a result alkaline sands and once-submerged tufa towers became exposed and Negit Island became landbridged, exposing the nests of gulls to predators (chiefly coyotes) and forcing the breeding colony to abandon the site.
Exposed tufa towers in Mono Lake; South Tufa, 1981

In 1974, Stanford University graduate student David Gaines studied the Mono Lake ecosystem and was instrumental in alerting the public of the effects of the lower water level. The National Science Foundation funded the first comprehensive ecological study of Mono Lake, conducted by Gaines and undergraduate students from UC Davis, UC Santa Cruz, and Earlham College. In June 1977 the UC Davis Institute of Ecology published their report, "An Ecological Study of Mono Lake, California," which alerted California to the ecological dangers posed by the redirection of water away from the lake for municipal uses.

Gaines formed the Mono Lake Committee in 1978. He and Sally Judy, a UC Davis student, led the committee and pursued an informational tour of California. They joined with the Audubon Society to fight a now famous court battle to protect Mono Lake through state public trust laws. While these efforts have resulted in positive change, the surface level is still below historic levels and exposed shorelines are a source of significant alkali dust during periods of high wind.

Owens Lake, which once sustained a healthy ecosystem, is now a dry lake bed during dry years due to water diversion. Mono Lake was spared this fate when the California State Water Resources Control Board issued an order to protect Mono Lake and its tributary streams on September 28, 1994. Since that time, the lake level has steadily risen. In 1941 the surface level was at 6,417 feet (1,956 m) above sea level and as of August 2006 it was at 6,385 feet (1,946 m). The lake level of 6,392 feet (1,948 m) above sea level is the goal, a goal made more difficult during years of drought in the American West.

--

California Water Wars
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The California Water Wars describes the disputes between Los Angeles, California and the Owens Valley over water rights. The disputes stem from Los Angeles's location in a semi-arid area, and the availability of water from Sierra Nevada runoff in the Owens Valley. ...

Mono Lake:

By the 1930s, the water requirements for Los Angeles continued to increase. LADWP started buying water rights in the Mono Basin (the next basin to the north of the Owens Valley). An extension to the aqueduct was built, which included such engineering feats as tunneling through the Mono Craters (an active volcanic field). By 1941, the extension was finished, and water in various creeks (such as Rush Creek) were diverted into the aqueduct. To satisfy California water law, LADWP set up a fish hatchery on Hot Creek, near Mammoth Lakes, California, ironically, not on a creek that was diverted.

The diverted creeks had previously fed Mono Lake, an inland body of water with no outlet. Mono Lake served as a vital ecosystem link, where gulls and migratory birds would nest. Because the creeks were diverted, the water level in Mono Lake started to fall, exposing tufa formations. The water became more saline and alkaline, threatening the brine shrimp that lived in the lake, as well as the birds that nested on two islands (Negit Island and Paoha Island) in the lake. Falling water levels started making a land bridge to Negit Island, which allowed predators to feed on bird eggs for the first time.

In 1974, David Gaines started to study the biology of Mono Lake. In 1975, while at Stanford, he started to get others interested in the ecosystem of Mono Lake. This led to a 1977 report on the ecosystem of Mono Lake that highlighted dangers caused by the water diversion. In 1978, the Mono Lake Committee was formed to protect Mono Lake. The Committee (and the National Audubon Society) sued LADWP in 1979, arguing that the diversions violated the public trust doctrine, which states that navigable bodies of water must be managed for the benefit of all people. The litigation reached the California Supreme Court by 1983, which ruled in favor of the Committee. Further litigation was initiated in 1984, which claimed that LADWP did not comply with the state fishery protection laws.

Eventually, all of the litigation was adjudicated in 1994, by the California State Water Resources Control Board. In that ruling, LADWP was required to let enough water into Mono Lake to raise the lake level 20 feet (6.1 m) above the then-current level of 25 feet (7.6 m) below the 1941 level. As of 2003, the water level in Mono Lake has risen 9 feet (2.7 m) of the required 20 feet (6.1 m). Los Angeles made up for the lost water through state-funded conservation and recycling projects.
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