Last Friday the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board released a draft report advancing the Mono Basin Tribal Beneficial Uses Designation Project.
Action alert
The Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board (Lahontan) is advancing the Mono Basin Tribal Beneficial Uses Designation Project. This designation will recognize the important uses of Mono Lake and its tributary streams by Indigenous Peoples since time immemorial.
For more detail on this project please click here.
This project proposes to amend the Water Quality Control Plan for the Lahontan Region to designate Tribal Beneficial Uses (TBU) for Mono Lake and its tributary streams. Lahontan states that designation “serves to acknowledge and highlight the need to maintain water quality sufficient to protect Tribal cultural and Tribal subsistence uses of waterbodies in the Mono Basin” and adds that “completion of this project will advance efforts towards racial equity.”
The Mono Lake Committee views this proposed action as an important recognition of the Kutzadika’a Tribe’s heritage in the Mono Basin and an affirmation of the importance of Mono Lake.
Lahontan is accepting public comments, and your letter of support will make a difference.
This project proposes to amend the Water Quality Control Plan for the Lahontan Region to designate Tribal Beneficial Uses for Mono Lake and its tributary streams. Lahontan states that designation “serves to acknowledge and highlight the need to maintain water quality sufficient to protect Tribal cultural and Tribal subsistence uses of waterbodies in the Mono Basin” and adds that “completion of this project will advance efforts towards racial equity.”
Tribal Beneficial Uses of state waters were defined by the State Water Board in 2017, and the Lahontan action would represent the first implementation in California. The proposed designation was developed with extensive consultation with the Mono Lake Kutzadika’a Tribe (also spelled Kootzaduka’a) and other area tribes about traditional and cultural uses of Mono Lake and its tributary streams.
The Mono Lake Committee views this proposed action as much-needed recognition of the Kutzadika’a Tribe’s heritage in the Mono Basin and an affirmation of the importance of Mono Lake.
Committee staff work closely with the Kutzadika’a Tribe and are carefully reviewing the newly released documents. There will be a public comment opportunity, and we will provide more detailed information about opportunities for specific supportive action after conferring further with the Tribe.
Links to the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board documents:
Top photo by Andrew Youssef.