Travel in the Mono Basin is getting easier as the snow begins to melt. The June Lake Loop (Highway 158) is now open all the way around, providing access to Silver Lake and several great hiking trails. Highway 120 East is open from Highway 395 to Benton. Highway 120 West over Tioga Pass is, of course, still closed, and the Tioga Pass Entry Station is recording nearly 150 inches of snowpack. Stop by the Mono Lake Committee Information Center & Bookstore between 9:00am–5:00pm daily or call us at (760) 647-6595 for the latest news on local roads.

California’s dire state budget situation continues, and closures and service reductions in the state park system are almost certain. But what cuts, and where? That remains unknown. The Mono Lake Committee is developing an analysis of whether the Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve qualifies for closure (stay tuned for details) and is following the issue closely.

Reporter Paul Rogers looks into the issue further in this recent article:

Jerry Brown’s list of state parks closures remains a closely held secret

The Mono Lake Committee Information Center & Bookstore will close at 3:30pm on Wednesday, April 20th, and will be closed all day on Thursday, April 21st and Friday, April 22nd for renovations. We apologize for any inconvenience.

The April 1st snow surveys in the Mono Basin found 169% of average snowpack in the headwaters of Rush Creek and Lee Vining creeks. Snow water content ranged from 133% at Gem Lake to 187% at Ellery Lake.

A typical spring day in the Mono Basin: snowstorms edging their way over the Sierra Nevada. Photo by Arya Degenhardt.

The March storms were relentless, with only nine days during the month when the Gem Pass snow pillow did not record an increase in snow water content. In Lee Vining it was our wettest March since 1995, with over 4 inches of precipitation. It was our snowiest March on record (since 1989), barely beating March 2001′s 43 inches of snowfall by 0.8 inches.

We are still waiting for the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power to release the preliminary April runoff forecast (to be finalized in May), but based on the snowpack, it might be a similar runoff year to 1998, 2005, and 2006—somewhere in the 140–150% of average range. We’ll post an update when we have more information—but Mono Lake will definitely rise a lot this year!

This year, the Andrea Lawrence Award for passionate engagement in community and the land will be presented to the Eastern Sierra Audubon Society in recognition of its critical efforts to support the Owens Lakebed Master Plan.

Eastern Sierra Audubon has worked with great dedication to initiate the Owens Lakebed Master Plan process, which seeks to generate a collaborative vision for the future of the Owens (more…)

American White Pelicans over Mono Lake. Photo by Tom Piekunka.

In March and April the brine shrimp are too small and alkali flies are scarce. Mono Lake does not get a lot of attention from birds on their spring migration, especially piscivores. But the birds do pass by as they wing north along the Pacific Flyway. Recently a large flock of American White Pelicans transited the Mono Basin. It’s a rare and spectacular sight to see these massive birds soaring overhead. Tom Piekunka snapped this beautiful image of American White Pelicans circling over the eastern portion of Mono Lake. With a steady hand and 400mm lens Tom was able to capture the nuptial tubercles located on the upper bills, a feature that adult pelicans grow each year as the breeding season approaches.

There are still a few openings left for our summer 2011 seasonal positions—if you or anyone you know might be interested, take a look at the job descriptions here!