The Committee’s policy team is pretty much working around the clock to compile comments on the draft synthesis report. If you’re curious to see what the report entails you can download the PDF report (4.8 MB) and appendices (70.4 MB), or read the report below. You can also visit the State Water Board’s website for more background information. The Mono Lake Committee has been reviewing the documents and will be submitting our comments to the State Water Board on Tuesday.

What is the synthesis report? Check out Geoff’s recent post for some background information on this important Mono Lake milestone. And be sure to visit the Streamflow Center for updates. (more…)

Shasta Lake, shrunk to 60 percent of its long-term level by three years of drought. Photo courtesy of National Geographic.

Today I sat down to my lunch with the April 2010 issue of National Geographic magazine in front of me, fresh from my mailbox. This month’s magazine is devoted to water—it’s beauty, life-sustaining power, spiritual force, and most importantly, its shortages. If you don’t already subscribe, find a copy at your nearest bookstore or browse the issue online. It’s well worth the read.

National Geographic takes a global approach to water in this issue, focusing on shrinking Himalayan glaciers, East African drought, a 20-acre swimming pool in Chile, and California’s heavily plumbed and piped (more…)

State Water Board, stream scientists, DWP, Mono Lake Committee, Mammoth Flyrodders, and Caltrout representatives at a meeting in Sacramento where the "Synthesis Report" was presented. Photo courtesy of Bob Vestal.

Mono Lake Committee staff and experts are hard at work reviewing the recently released draft “Synthesis of Instream Flow Recommendations” report.

The report is based on over a decade of supporting studies, monitoring, and detailed field work by the State Water Board-appointed expert stream scientists. The recommendations are a critical (more…)

In mid-March the sun began melting the snow in the Mono Basin very quickly, and now on the fifth day of spring, many south-facing slopes are bare, and below 7,000 feet the remaining snow is retreating quickly into the shade. Above 7,000 feet deep snow (more…)

Last year the Public Policy Institute of California published an interactive map on its website. When you mouse over each hydrologic region of the state, it shows how the population and per capita urban water use in that region has changed since 1960. The map was released in December as part of a report on California Water Myths, which highlights eight common water myths.

Despite a steadily increasing population, most regions of the state began cutting back per-capita water use after (more…)

On Sunday, April 11th at 9:00pm watch Life Episode 6: Insects on the Discovery Channel. The incredible footage gives a close-up perspective of the lives of several insects around the world. Part of the episode focuses on Mono Lake’s alkali fly. The other episodes run on Sundays from March 21st to April 18th.

Mono Lake's trillions of alkali flies provide food for many species of birds, including California Gulls. MLC archive photo.

Check out the Sacramento Bee‘s Public Eye column article on the Mono Lake dust storms by Tom Knudson. Mono Lake Committee Members can see full details on the dust storms in Greg Reis’ Lakewatch article in the current issue of the Mono Lake Newsletter online.

Dust billowed across Paoha Island on December 6, 2009---shortly after November's record-setting dust storms. Photo by Arya Degenhardt.

Paoha Island on January 29, 2010, a calm day at Mono Lake---the difference in air quality is clear. Photo by Elin Ljung.

Natalie Holt enjoying a Sierra stream. Photo courtesy of Natalie Holt.

Two years ago, Natalie Holt spent much of her summer volunteering for the Mono Lake Committee—leading tours and helping with a variety projects in the office. More recently, for her senior high school project, Natalie created  a seven-minute film called “Environmental Identity,” featuring our very own Communications Coordinator Elin Ljung!

In the film Natalie interviews Elin, a park ranger, an Earth First activist, and the owner of a green products store, asking what motivates, inspires and concerns (more…)

Mono Lake
On April 1st, 2009 (the beginning of this Runoff Year), Mono Lake was at an elevation of 6382.5 feet. It dropped about a foot by the end of the calendar year, and in January and February it rose half a foot, for a net loss of 0.6 feet since last April 1st. The half-foot rise in January and February is the largest 2-month wintertime rise since a 0.6 foot rise in January and February 2006. Mono Lake usually rises 0.1 foot in March–if it does that this month, we should be looking at an April 1st level of about 6382.0 feet. Click here for more on Mono Lake’s levels.

Lee Vining Precipitation
Here in Lee Vining, from October through February we’ve received 11.72 inches of precipitation, which is 108% (more…)