1996 in Review
Court Victory!
The Committee and its allies won another important court victory, defeating efforts to strip the El Dorado Court of its control over Mono Basin stream restoration programs. The court shares this responsibility with the State Water Resources Control Board until the Water Board adopts a final, enforceable restoration plan.
Mono Lake Continues to Rise
Runoff from the wet 1995-96 winter pushed Mono Lake up to 6380.1 feet, the highest point for 1996. This makes for a total increase of 5.5 feet since the Water Board ruling. Don't let the recent rise skew your expectations, however. The lake still needs to rise another 12 feet to reach the Water Board-ordered level-a rise which is still expected to take at least twenty years.
$25,000 Federal Grant Received
The Committee's work in reviewing DWP's proposed restoration plans for Mono Lake's streams and waterfowl habitat won a $25,000 grant of support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The grant was awarded as a match to the generous gifts made by members in the fall of 1995.
DWP's Restoration Plans Challenged
The MLC and allies joined together to challenge the draft restoration plans submitted by DWP to the Water Board. The flawed plans failed to incorporate key recommendations made by independent scientists for the restoration of Mono Basin streams and waterfowl habitat.
L.A. Water Conservation and Recycling Funds Appropriated
The MLC supported the commitment of funds by the California Legislature and Congress for water conservation and recycling projects to replace the water L.A. no longer diverts from Mono Lake. To date, the state has appropriated $27 million of the promised $36 million in AB 444 funds; the final $9 million will be appropriated in 1997.
Rush Creek Trees Planted
In partnership with DWP and the U. S. Forest Service, the Committee organized a tree planting project to help with restoration work on a recently reopened channel of lower Rush Creek. Under the direction of restoration specialist Scott English, MLC volunteers planted 225 Jeffrey pine seedlings, 260 cottonwoods, and numerous willow cuttings. Work continued through the summer in watering and weeding the newly planted trees.
Acclaimed Outdoor Experiences Program Grows
In partnership with DWP, the Mothers of East Los Angeles Santa Isabel, Korean Youth and Community Center, and other L.A.-based community groups, the Committee brought inner-city youth to Mono Lake to experience the Eastern Sierra and see where L.A.'s water comes from. The Committee won a highly competitive $16,000 Urban Resources Partnership grant to develop and co-teach (with community groups) L.A.-based water conservation workshops as part of expanding the Outdoor Experience program.
Mono Lake Home Page Opened
With the assistance of several members, the MLC went online on the World Wide Web in 1996. We're working hard to expand the site, which already has lots of information for students and supporters alike-and is a new way to recruit Mono Lake supporters. Look us up at http://www.monolake.org.
Restoration Week Founded
The Committee established a new program to bring members to Mono Lake for a week of fun and restoration work. Activities included planting and watering trees, mountain bike expeditions, the MLC Annual Meeting, and a fundraising 100-mile cycling tour through the Mono Lake region. Restoration week also included the traditional rehydration ceremony at Mono Lake's shore. Two "Torch Bearers" made the 350-mile journey from DWP's headquarters in Los Angeles to bring water for the Mono Lake ceremony.
Switzer Environmental Leadership Grant Received
The Committee received a $15,000 grant from the Switzer Family and the San Francisco Foundation to help fund the work of our Mono Basin hydrology expert in reviewing DWP's proposed restoration plans for the Mono Basin. This is the second year that a generous Switzer grant has made this work possible.
Phalaropes Return to West Shore; Grebes Blanket Lake in Fall
Graceful flocks of phalaropes were once again seen on the west shore, most likely due to the rising lake creating new habitat for their favorite food: alkali fly pupae. Not far behind them in the fall migration were the eared grebes - hundreds of thousands of them, if not millions. Preliminary surveys indicated more grebes on the lake than have been reported in recent years. The giant flocks of birds are just one reminder that, in 1996, Mono Lake has been on the mend.
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