Restoration

Grant Lake Reservoir outlet update

Spillway upgrade construction tentatively planned for next spring One of the few dams without an outlet in the state of California is soon to get one—modification of the Grant Lake Reservoir dam may begin as early as next spring. The…

Invasive plant removal in the Mono Basin

The Mono Basin is home to an abundance of stunning native plant species, from riparian habitats to alkali-sink scrub. Unfortunately, there are also a few guests who have overstayed their welcome. In the Mono Basin, and much of the world,…

Peak flows on Mono Lake’s tributary streams

High-elevation snow is melting in the Mono Basin and we are enjoying quite a show of runoff. The winter of 2022–2023 broke records for snowpack and we’ve been watching that snow gush down Mono Basin creeks. Cool spring and early…

Summer 2023 Lakewatch & Streamwatch

Lakewatch: Record rise for Mono Lake expected A lot of snow was melting around Mono Lake in April, but Mono Lake rose less than a tenth of a foot that month, to 6380.07 feet above sea level on May 1.…

Restoration milestone for Mill Creek

Amended settlement returns streamflows to Mono Lake’s third-largest tributary The Mono Lake Committee is dedicated to protecting and restoring Mono Lake and its tributary streams, but while protection and restoration were afforded to four of Mono Lake’s major creeks (Rush,…

Winter & Spring 2023 Streamwatch & Lakewatch

Streamwatch: Astonishing snowpack numbers portend record runoff A dry 2022 ended abruptly in November with a foot of snow. Despite the continuous precipitation all winter, consistently cold weather kept winter streamflows low. But with record snowpack, 2023 will bring record…