Water that should be flowing to Mono Lake began leaving the Mono Basin and flowing instead toward Los Angeles on June 17 when the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (DWP) began exporting stream diversions into the Los Angeles Aqueduct.
DWP started exports early this year, which is unusual; it plans to make certain it can export the maximum allowed volume of 16,000 acre-feet by the end of the runoff year (March 31, 2026).
In addition to the exports that started last week, DWP is continuously exporting groundwater from the Mono Basin as well, because water pours into the aqueduct tunnel where it runs underneath the Mono Craters. The tunnel adds approximately 5,000 acre-feet of water to DWP’s exports every year.
DWP taking 16,000 acre-feet of stream diversions plus 5,000 acre-feet of groundwater exports will translate to about half a foot of Mono Lake’s level lost this year. Mono Lake’s level would have remained stable this coming year if not for DWP’s water exports.
This has been the story at Mono Lake for more than 30 years now. When DWP takes its allowed water export amounts, that erodes Mono Lake’s rise. And after DWP planned to export only 4,500 acre-feet of surface water (less water than allowed), it ultimately went back on that plan and exported more.
It’s now abundantly clear: DWP will only respond to what’s required, so the rules governing DWP’s exports must change to allow Mono Lake to rise.
Top photo by Geoff McQuilkin.