Existing comment:
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. |