The California Gull (Larus californicus), the iconic gull species at Mono Lake and the state bird of Utah, is in trouble. These soaring and gregarious birds have nested in large numbers for millennia at Mono and Great Salt Lake, returning…
One year ago, the California State Water Resources Control Board issued Order 21-86, mandating enhanced requirements for the restoration of 20 miles of stream habitat in the Mono Basin (see Fall 2021 Mono Lake Newsletter). The order launched a new…
With the 2022 California Gull nesting season safely behind us, and the deployment of the gull protection fence on the horizon for spring 2023, Robbie, Ryan, and I took advantage of a windless morning to get out to the emerging…
Last fall the California State Water Resources Control Board ordered new requirements to further the restoration of 20 miles of Mono Basin stream habitat on Lee Vining, Rush, Walker, and Parker creeks. Order 21-86 implements new Stream Ecosystem Flows (SEFs)…
Drought forces reduced diversions, causes problems for nesting birds and air quality Mono Lake is suffering from a severe drought. The lake has dropped more than three feet in elevation since 2019, exposing more lakebed. Dust storms have become more…
Last fall the Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District hosted a Mono Air & Water Workshop in Lee Vining. The purpose of the workshop was to initiate a dialogue among stakeholders, agencies, and the Great Basin governing board to…
The Wilderness Land Trust recently purchased 880 acres of land in the Bodie Hills, north of Mono Lake. The Mono Lake Committee is pleased to have collaborated in support of the successful acquisition. The Trust is working with the Bureau…
This fall the California Department of Resources Recycling & Recovery (CalRecycle) began work to remediate the former Lee Vining Burn Dump site adjacent to the Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area Visitor Center, which, like many old dump sites was…
California Gulls at Mono Lake can’t catch a break. Another drought year and a legacy of excessive water diversions are increasing the threat of coyotes crossing the emerging landbridge to Twain Islet and reaching vulnerable eggs and chicks during the…
“The principal values plaintiffs seek to protect, however, are recreational and ecological—the scenic views of the lake and its shore, the purity of the air, and the use of the lake for nesting and feeding by birds … it is…
