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…)

Beavers were introduced into Lundy Canyon long ago, and in recent years have been spreading to other nearby creeks such as Wilson Creek and DeChambeau Creek. Dead beavers have been seen more than once in the last several years along Mono Lake between Old Marina and Lee Vining Creek.

About three weeks ago we were informed by Dr. Roland Knapp of beaver sign along Lee Vining Creek below the diversion dam. Friday morning I took the photos found here–click on a photo to (more…)

Even though the snow continues and summer seems a long way off, Mono Lake Committee staff are busy planning for the California Society for Ecological Restoration Annual Conference, which will be held in Mammoth Lakes, May 19–22, 2010. Plenary speakers will include David Nahai, former General Manager of Los Angeles Department of Water & Power and our Executive Director, Geoff McQuilkin. Don’t miss (more…)

When the temperature drops close to zero, some interesting things happen to the flowing water in Mono Lake’s tributaries. I shot this video on December 8th at Rush Creek right after measuring the flow in a side channel. Ominous cracking noises in the silent below freezing air preceded this dramatic burst (more…)

Beautiful aspens line the Lee Vining Creek Trail. Photo by Arya Degenhardt.

This Mono-logue post comes to you from Intern Claire Skinner.

Fall is a magical time in the Mono Basin—sunny days, crisp weather, and lots of fall color. Lundy Canyon and the June Lake Loop are wonderful places to watch quaking aspens shedding their green for leaves of yellow, orange, and red.

It’s also the perfect time to discover the lovely Lee Vining Creek Trail—Lee Vining’s best kept secret! Aspens grow abundantly along (more…)

The Mono Lake Committee found out this past week that the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (DWP) is forecasting 88% of average runoff for the 2009 Runoff Year (April 1, 2009–March 31, 2010) for the Mono Basin. Currently, the Mono Basin snowpack ranges from 89–102% of average.

Last year, DWP forecasted 86% of average runoff, but actual runoff turned out to be much less—about 64% of average based on preliminary numbers. This huge discrepancy was due to (more…)

Snow storms during the first two weeks of February have caused Mono Lake to finally rise–an event that almost always occurs before the end of January. Yesterday evening as the light faded on the wind-ruffled waters of Mono Lake surrounded by a blanket of white snow and the grey-hued clearing storm clouds, I read the lake level gauge: 6382.28 feet above sea level.

Mono Lake had been at this level for about a week, but when (more…)

2. Restoration stream studies on Rush Creek (more…)

Mono Lake dropped 0.08 feet this past week and currently is at the low point for the year: 6382.07′. This was a bit unexpected, considering the cold and wet weather we’ve had this past week. But it wasn’t that wet and it was very cold. It does make sense, since inflow from Rush Creek is the lowest in decades. Also, the extreme cold weather has turned liquid into solid, resulting in a reduced inflow to Mono Lake–because solid doesn’t flow!

If the lake drops any more at all, it is off the gauge–and we wouldn’t know the level until (more…)

You can read a chronology of restoration from 1982-2009 on our Restoration Chronology page. For future updates on stream restoration starting in 2009–look right here on the Mono-logue! (more…)