Category: Protection

A win for the Mono Basin Scenic Area

CalRecycle accepts settlement agreement and remedies project mistakes Last fall the California Department of Resources Recycling & Recovery (CalRecycle) completed earth work on the former Lee Vining Burn Dump site adjacent to the Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area Visitor…

California needs stronger water conservation regulations

Your voice needed soon  This spring the California State Water Resources Control Board is expected to vote on a new, climate-based, statewide conservation regulation to “Make Conservation a California Way of Life.” The Mono Lake Committee will be requesting the…

Will DWP increase Mono Basin diversions this year?

Better operating rules needed for Mono Lake to rise Water diversions to Los Angeles—and away from Mono Lake—began just after noon on January 31. With the turn of a control wheel, the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (DWP)…

Stormwater capture in Los Angeles hits new high

Local water supply strategy for LA gains momentum As Angelenos experience more extreme weather patterns, stormwater capture is stepping into the spotlight as a viable, and valuable, source of local water for Los Angeles. Between October 1, 2022 and April…

A hearing room with people seated in a semicircular room with reporters with large video cameras and a witness at the witness stand in front of a map display with Mono Lake on it.

Thirty years since Decision 1631 “saved” Mono Lake

“Today we saved Mono Lake,” announced California State Water Resources Control Board member Marc Del Piero back in 1994 upon the unanimous approval of Decision 1631, which established the mandate to protect Mono Lake at the 6,392-foot level. We are…

Over-Snow Vehicle use in the Mono Basin

The Mono Lake Committee commented last October on the Inyo National Forest’s Proposed Action for Over-Snow Vehicle (OSV) Use Designation, focusing on the project area surrounding Mono Lake and in the greater Mono Basin. The Inyo sought comments from the…

A rising Mono Lake averted coyote threat to nesting gulls

As Mono Lake rose this year it submerged large sections of the exposed landbridge between Negit Island and Black Point, providing a better buffer between coyotes and thousands of nesting California Gulls. The winter brought so much precipitation, runoff ,…

Phil Isenberg’s legacy at Mono Lake

Phillip L. Isenberg, an inventive and unconventional Sacramento political leader, and champion of Mono Lake has died. Around Sacramento, and much of the state, he was known for his impressive legacy of public service—as City Council Member, Assemblyman, Sacramento Mayor, and…

LA leadership recognizes low lake concerns

Technical discussions will explore diversion scenarios Mono Lake has been the topic of important discussions in Los Angeles in recent months, focusing on the challenge of ensuring the lake rises to the 6392-foot Public Trust lake level. This level was…