Lakewatch

Under the Water Board’s 1998 Restoration Order, a normal year type, like this year, triggers a requirement that Rush Creek be provided a stream restoration flow of 380 cubic feet per second (cfs) for 5 days, then 300 cfs for 7 days. Unfortunately, Rush Creek’s peak flow ended up being 200 cfs less than the Water Board’s requirement. Because there is no direct outlet from Grant Reservoir into Rush Creek, stream restoration flows depend upon having adequate capacity in the Rush Creek return ditch and in wetter years spills from Grant Reservoir. (See the article on page 9 for more on the return ditch.)

It was a cool and windy summer. It was also dry, with few thunderstorms—at least until August. On August 6, the morning dawned on a dusting of snow on peaks above 11,000 feet. Again on August 10, violent thunderstorms brought rain and hail to the lower elevations and turned many of the higher peaks white with snow. Mt. Dana received a couple inches of snow, and Tioga Pass Road closed for about an hour due to icy conditions. So much hail fell in Bridgeport that a snowplow ran through town several times.

This weather is typical for a strong La Niña summer. On August 11 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center predicted that La Niña conditions would continue through the coming winter. Unusually cold ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific characterize La Niña, which should give rise to winter weather similar to what was experienced last year.

It is amazing to realize how much we now understand about global weather patterns. Just like bird migrations connect the rest of the western hemisphere with Mono Lake, our relatively thin atmosphere connects the rest of the world to Mono Lake’s weather. Everything is interconnected. And promoting sustainable development in lake areas through the Living Lakes partnership is the Mono Lake Committee’s contribution to worldwide conservation efforts. These efforts in other areas ultimately will benefit Mono Lake by helping to protect the functioning of the entire planet.