Events

Mono Basin ASO flights get off the ground

In the spring, the Mono Lake Committee helped Mono County secure emergency funding from the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services for Airborne Snow Observatories (ASO) LiDAR flights that gave us a crucial understanding of the record snowpack. ASO-derived data and…

Tracking phalaropes at Mono and beyond

Editor’s note: This article was compiled from field reports from Ryan Carle and Kiki Tarr. Phalarope research continued at Mono Lake again this summer, with phalarope surveys taking place for the fifth consecutive year, plus a new effort to tag…

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…

An exceptional year for Mono Basin stream restoration

The Mono Basin has had a very wet runoff year (more than 200% of average), but from a stream restoration perspective, what matters is how quickly the runoff melts, because the resulting flows dictate what kind of ecosystem processes occur.…

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 ,…

Clearing up the “green lake” phenomenon

This summer, the water in Mono Lake appeared noticeably clearer than it has during most summers over the last decade. Historically, the clarity of Mono Lake’s water fluctuates seasonally, appearing green and opaque in the winter as algae grows 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…

Fall 2023 Mono Lake Newsletter now online

It has been a truly remarkable year seeing Mono Lake rise so fast and so much—five feet so far in 2023! The last time Mono Lake had a similarly impressive rise, back in 2017, I remember the elation we felt…

Many calls for a State Water Board hearing

After digging out from under the exceptionally snowy winter, Mono Lake Committee staff were exceptionally curious—how much would Mono Lake rise this year, and will the rise stick this time? As it turns out, many people are wondering the same…