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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. |