Sunrise light on a grove of tufa towers emerging from the water of Mono Lake with soft green and dusty-red wild grasses in the foreground, Canada geese in the shallow water with reflections of the rocky towers, and desert hills in the distance.

2015 will be the driest year on record, by far

Sunrise light on a grove of tufa towers emerging from the water of Mono Lake with soft green and dusty-red wild grasses in the foreground, Canada geese in the shallow water with reflections of the rocky towers, and desert hills in the distance.

October to March precipitation was 33% of average—driest on record for Lee Vining and third-driest on record for Cain Ranch. The April 1 snow surveys found only 14% of average snow water content in the Mono Basin after a warm March melted much of the already near-record-low snowpack.

Based on precipitation, snowpack, and recent runoff, the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (DWP) has run its forecasting equations and issued its runoff forecast: 19% of average runoff is expected for April–September, and 25% over the next year—assuming median precipitation falls. 2015 April–September runoff is not only going to be less than 1977, the driest year on record—it is expected to be less than half of 1977’s runoff.

2015 April-September runoff is not only going to be less than 1977, the driest year on record--it is expected to be less than half of the 1977 runoff.
The twelve driest seasons on record in the Mono Basin. 2015 April–September runoff is not only going to be less than 1977, the driest year on record—it is also expected to be less than half of the 1977 runoff.

We are in uncharted territory. It has not been this dry since records began in the Mono Basin. This will be a challenging year for our ecosystems and for water management.