Readers in the San Francisco Bay Area opened the San Francisco Chronicle this morning to see a feature article about Mono Lake and the challenges the present-day, persistent low lake level presents for humans, birds, and the environment alike, challenges…
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…
Each autumn Mono Lake Committee staff optimistically hope for a wet and snowy winter, but cautiously prepare for drought. Last fall, drought contingency planning included the possibility of re-deploying the mile-long temporary electrified fence to protect California Gulls; no small…
Each spring tens of thousands of California Gulls migrate inland to their nesting grounds on Mono Lake’s islets. Because of the lake’s current low level, the landbridge to the islets is once again becoming exposed, which increases the threat of…
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…
On a recent August morning Mono Lake Committee staff boated out to Twain Islet to hand-pull invasive Bassia weeds to protect critical California Gull nesting habitat at Mono Lake. This was the second season, after a prescribed burn in 2020,…
As the world closed down in March 2020 in response to the worsening coronavirus pandemic, research groups working in the Mono Basin also packed up and went home. Though a few people were able to return later in the year…
Hydrologic forecast shows lake level dropping into risky territory As California enters another year of drought, the Mono Lake level forecast for the 2021–2022 runoff year is in, and the outlook is not good. The lake is projected to drop…
The Mono Basin is an oasis for hundreds of species of birds, many of which rely exclusively on alkali flies and brine shrimp for sustenance. The lake is critical habitat for California Gulls, Eared Grebes, and phalaropes. Learn more about…
In late August last year, California State Parks and the Mono Lake Committee joined forces to remove the remains of the 1980s-era coyote fence that once protected Negit Island’s nesting California Gull colony. Taking advantage of the low lake level,…
