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Why pausing water diversions to Los Angeles honors landmark Mono Lake deal

Note: This post was originally published as Guest Commentary on CalMatters; it is posted here with permission. In 1994, I stood at a crowded dais in Sacramento where the city of Los Angeles and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, or DWP, joined the Mono Lake Committee and many others to support the...

Hoar frost clings to pine needles on a branch that holds a now open cone.

Fall along a rushing creek with water cascading softly over rocks and deciduous trees in bright yellow and framed by two evergreen tree trunks.

The current level of Mono Lake is 6,379.9 feet above sea level.

On April 1 of each year the Committee and the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power jointly read the lake level gauge at Mono Lake which will determine the allowed water export for 2023 under Decision 1631. The level of Mono Lake is currently dangerously low.

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Fresh snow on a lakeshore, bare shrubs poke out and tufa towers are scattered around the area, puffy white clouds and snow covered mountains are in the distance.

Welcome to Mono Lake

Mono Lake is an ancient saline lake located at the eastern edge of the Sierra Nevada in California. Home to trillions of brine shrimp, millions of birds, and world-famous tufa towers, its tributary streams also supply water to Los Angeles, nearly 350 miles to the south. After a successful legal fight stopped excessive diversions, ongoing advocacy has shown that balanced solutions mean enough water for both people and the environment.

Since 1978 the Mono Lake Committee has worked to protect Mono Lake, restore its tributary streams and surrounding lands, and educate the next generation about wise water use.

Learn about Mono Lake > | Learn about the Mono Lake Committee >

Fresh snow on a lakeshore, bare shrubs poke out and tufa towers are scattered around the area, puffy white clouds and snow covered mountains are in the distance.

Welcome to Mono Lake

Mono Lake is an ancient saline lake located at the eastern edge of the Sierra Nevada in California. Home to trillions of brine shrimp, millions of birds, and world-famous tufa towers, its tributary streams also supply water to Los Angeles, nearly 350 miles to the south. After a successful legal fight stopped excessive diversions, ongoing advocacy has shown that balanced solutions mean enough water for both people and the environment.

Since 1978 the Mono Lake Committee has worked to protect Mono Lake, restore its tributary streams and surrounding lands, and educate the next generation about wise water use.

Learn about Mono Lake > | Learn about the Mono Lake Committee >

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