“Today, my friends, we’ve done the right thing. Today, we saved Mono Lake.”
—Marc Del Piero, Chair of the State Water Resources Control Board, September 28, 1994
On September 28, 1994, the California State Water Resources Control Board issued Decision 1631, amending the City of Los Angeles’ water licenses “to establish fishery protection flows in streams tributary to Mono Lake and to protect Public Trust resources at Mono Lake and in the Mono Lake Basin.”
There was urgency in this action back in 1994, and today, as we arrive at the 30th anniversary of this history-making decision, the lake is still 8.6 vertical feet below the Public Trust lake level—a problem that looms large for the lake, its unique ecosystem, its millions of migratory and nesting birds, and people who care for and rely on this special place.
The State Water Board decision established the Public Trust lake level at 6392 feet above sea level, determining it to be the healthy management level necessary to protect the lake. The Board expected that it would take about 20 years for the lake to rise to 6392 in a plan that also provided for some water diversions to Los Angeles.
In addition, 6392 will reduce the lake salinity so that a healthy ecosystem can thrive, improve air quality by covering exposed dry lakebed and reducing toxic dust storms, protect the nesting California Gull colony, and provide a buffer of water to protect the lake in the face of climate change.
Progress toward 6392
In 2023 Mono Lake rose an impressive five feet after a record winter. This year, precipitation has been average, keeping the lake level stable and preserving the gain from the previous year.
In addition, some of that gain was preserved because we, along with more than 25 Los Angeles-based conservation and environmental justice groups, asked LA Mayor Karen Bass last spring to not increase stream diversions this year. Because of a quirk in the diversion rules, last year’s incredible gain in lake level unfortunately meant that DWP was entitled to increase diversions. But the mayor agreed with our coalition’s request, which means DWP will divert 4,500 acre-feet this year instead of 16,000 acre-feet. That’s more water for Mono Lake, thanks to our advocacy and the mayor’s leadership.
Progress toward a hearing
Last year, at a workshop held by the State Water Board, Mono Lake Committee members and experts showed up in the hundreds and wrote letters in the thousands, bringing the sense of urgency that resonated with the Board.
Today, as in 1994, the Mono Lake Committee is dedicated to helping Los Angeles secure more water conservation measures. LA leaders have already made significant commitments to rapidly implementing environmentally responsible local supply projects such as stormwater capture, turf replacement, conservation, and water recycling.
The people of LA are calling for the same solutions. In front of the LA City Council Energy & Environment Committee, East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice leader mark! Lopez talked about “the imperative to stop relying on imported water” from Mono Lake for the sake of Los Angeles, because “the more that we become free of that the stronger we get in our communities when it comes to resilience.”
Also last year, Mono Lake Committee and DWP leaders met with Los Angeles Deputy Mayor for Energy & Sustainability Nancy Sutley to discuss Mono Lake and the need to better identify the paths forward that raise the lake to the Public Trust lake level required in the City’s water rights. The result: a collaborative hydrology modeling effort that launched last fall and has invested hundreds of hours of collective time in discussion, modeling, and analysis. The group recently reported back on the results of ten different stream diversion scenarios.
The informational report compares the performance of scenarios that range from continuing the same problematic stream diversions of the past 30 years to fully pausing stream diversions. Additional scenarios include more than diversion volume adjustments. Diversion levels that vary between wet and dry years are part of the study, and of particular interest are dynamic diversion rules that adjust as the lake rises to lock in gains and avoid damaging declines in lake level.
More good news has come from the State Water Board recently—they have made Mono Lake a priority item in their workplan. The wheels of state bureaucracy turn slowly, but they are now in motion toward a hearing on Mono Lake. While we are still awaiting word on a specific hearing date, we are heartened by the great interest in this issue shown in Los Angeles and in the media as people are realizing that Mono Lake still needs saving.
“We cannot overemphasize the value—to ourselves and future generations—of a living, healthy Mono Lake.”
—David Gaines, Co-Founder, Mono Lake Committee
Top photo courtesy of George Ward.