2014 marks the 20th anniversary of State Water Board Decision 1631 that mandated lake level rise for Mono Lake and restoration of Mono’s tributary streams and waterfowl habitat. For the last 20 years the Mono Lake Committee has embraced D1631 and the subsequent restoration orders as if they were family members. Not a day goes by without someone saying, “well, according to D1631….”
For D1631’s birthday, Committee staff would like nothing more than to announce that the lake had reached 6392 feet above sea level. That would be the ultimate … right? But here we sit in the third year of drought looking back at what amounts to 20 pretty dry years and a lake level of 6380′. It’s disappointing, drought years are unnerving, and we’re worried.
But the fact that Mono Lake has not reached 6392′ yet is not D1631’s fault. There is wisdom in D1631. It is science-based and thoughtfully crafted, and it would be a disservice to evaluate its effectiveness solely on the lake level right now. The articles in this issue of the Mono Lake Newsletter highlight progress made on other D1631 fronts and the ongoing effort to navigate the bigger picture view that it represents for the Mono Basin.
That being said, on January 30 it snowed 16 inches in Lee Vining. A storm finally broke through the Ridiculously Resilient Ridge and serendipitously combined forces with a Tonopah low to almost literally dump snow. It was beyond beautiful, and the sense of relief in the office and out in the glistening sagebrush was palpable. You could almost hear a collective sigh of relief from all 16,000 Mono Lake Committee members that day.
There is richness in having enough water. Sometimes we need a drought to remind us of that, and the fact that we have a very important role to play in maintaining and defining that richness. Now that I think of it, I’m pretty sure that D1631 says that too. Pray for snow.