Mono Lake is an ancient saline lake located in the Sierra Nevada in California. It has no outlet which has caused a build up in salts and minerals over time. Mono Lake covers 65 square miles and is over one million years old, making it the oldest lake in the United States of America (California Department of Parks and Recreation). This large lake is also home to trillions of shrimps, millions of birds, and the world-famous Tufa towers (California Department of Parks and Recreation). Although Mono Lake is in Northern California, it was (and still is to an extent) a critical water source for the City of Los Angeles (Mono Lake Committee). In 1941, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP) began diverting water from Mono Lake’s tributary streams and sending it 350 miles south to meet the growing water demand in Los Angeles (Mono Lake Committee). As a result of this diversion, the water levels in Mono Lake dropped by 45 feet, lost half of its volume, and doubled its salinity over the next 40 years (Mono Lake Committee). The low water levels caused problems for the local wildlife and created air quality issues due to the dust. In 1976, a group of students from the University of California Davis and Stanford University conducted a comprehensive ecological study of Mono Lake (Mono Lake Committee). These students found that Mono Lake would be on the brink of environmental collapse if the water diversions continued (Mono Lake Committee). To address this issue, the students founded the Mono Lake Committee (Mono Lake Committee). The Mono Lake Committee began presenting to schools and environmental organizations throughout California to garner support (Mono Lake Committee). In 1979, the Mono Lake Committee and the National Audubon Society sued DWP for not complying with the Public Trust Doctrine (Mono Lake Committee). In 1994, the State Water Board (SWB) made a landmark decision to save Mono Lake. This decision ordered DWP to divert less water from the Mono Lake Basin to maintain a water surface elevation of 6,392 feet above sea level in Mono Lake (Davis, 2023). This order is known as the Mono Lake Decision. The purpose of the Mono Lake Decision was to preserve the cultural and ecological resources in the Mono Lake Watershed. Although DWP has complied with this order, the contention about the water in Mono Lake continues today as the Mono Lake Committee and the Kutzadika’a people, who have inhabited the area for a long time, continue to fight to end diversions from Mono Lake to Los Angeles.
Mono Lake Diversions Coming to an End?
Unfortunately, Mono Lake has not become the thriving ecosystem the SWB was hoping for when they made their 1994 decision to restrict DWP’s diversions from Mono Lake to Los Angeles. Even after the heavy rainfall in early 2023, Mono Lake’s water levels have not risen enough to address the air quality issues associated with heavy dust storms or offset the salinity issues. Due to the lake’s dire condition, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife has requested that the State Water Board take emergency action to suspend Mono Lake diversions to California. DWP diverts 4,500 acre-feet per year from the tributaries that flow into Mono Lake. This volume of water represents one percent of the water supply for Los Angeles. During the first quarter of 2023, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Mono Lake Committee, and the Kutzadika’a tribe held an informational workshop on Mono Lake’s condition to support their request to suspend DWP’s Mono Lake diversions. DWP argues that Mono Lake is ecologically healthy at its current water level and suspending its access to Mono Lake diversions will hurt its low-income customers (Davis, 2023). The Mono Lake Committee and Kutzadika’a people argue that DWP’s diversions are continuing to harm Mono Lake, and the relatively small amount of water diverted from the Mono Lake Watershed does not justify the environmental consequences. The SWB’s decision to end diversion to Mono Lake is still pending.
Water resources management has always been a struggle in California. Los Angeles imports nearly 85 of its water. Its main sources are the State Water Project, the LA Aqueduct, and the Colorado River. Diversions from Mono Lake make up a small portion of this imported water. The City of Los Angeles consumes about 500,000 acre-feet of water per year (Newton, 2023). Diversions from the Mono Lake Watershed make up no more than three percent of this water – enough to supply 45,000 households (Newton, 2023). DWP could adopt incentive programs or construct infrastructure that would easily conserve this volume of water. However, the purpose of DWP’s conservation efforts is to reduce the amount of water imported from the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) because this water is expensive at $750 per acre-foot. It could also be argued that importing water from the Mono Lake Watershed is less harmful to the environment than importing water from the Colorado River. This is because it takes a tremendous amount of electrical power to convey water long distances. It requires less electrical power to import water from Northern California than Colorado (Newton, 2023). In addition to environmental and economic concerns, it is important to consider the ethical implications of importing water. Importing water is, in some ways, a short-term solution to an underlying issue that has plagued Southern California since its inception – water scarcity. It is time for Southern California to make efforts to become more water independent by implementing sustainable solutions that address the root causes of water scarcity, such as overconsumption, inefficient use, and inadequate infrastructure. Furthermore, there are ethical implications associated taking water and causing ecological harm to a body of water that is such a large part of the Kutzadika’a people’s cultural heritage.
Summary
Mono Lake is an ancient saltwater lake located in California’s Sierra Nevada region. It has no outlet, resulting in highly concentrated salts and minerals in its waters. The lake is known for its ecological importance, supporting a diverse ecosystem of shrimp, birds, and unique Tufa Towers. However, water diversions by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP) have caused significant harm to Mono Lake, reducing its water levels, increasing salinity, and causing air quality issues. The Mono Lake Committee and the National Audubon Society fought to protect the lake, leading to the 1994 Mono Lake Decision that established minimum water levels. Although DWP has technically honored this agreement, many believe the spirit of this agreement has been violated because Mono Lake still has many environmental problems. For example, despite recent rainfall, the lake’s water levels remain low, prompting calls to suspend DWP’s diversions. Recently, the Mono Lake Committee and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife have asked the State Water Board to stop the diversions from the Mono Lake Watershed. The ongoing situation raises ethical concerns about environmental impact, water equity, and the need for sustainable long-term solutions to address water scarcity in California. Additionally, the cultural heritage of the Kutzadika’a people, connected to Mono Lake, should be considered in these discussions.
References
Bland, A. (2023, May 30). L.A. Has taken water from iconic Mono Lake for 82 years. Will California stop it? CalMatters.org. Retrieved July 16, 2023, from https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2023/05/mono-lake-water-diversion/?mc_cid=c33f0cf435&mc_eid=d3b9709405
California Department of Parks and Recreation (n.d.). Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve. Retrieved July 18, 2023, from https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=514
Davis, M. (2023, March 22). Why pausing water diversions to Los Angeles honors landmark Mono Lake deal. Retrieved July 16, 2023, from https://www.desertsun.com/story/opinion/2023/03/22/pausing-water-diversions-to-los-angeles-honors-landmark-mono-lake-deal/70021977007/
Mono Lake Committee (n.d.). Saving Mono Lake. Retrieved July 16, 2023, from https://www.monolake.org/learn/aboutmonolake/savingmonolake/
Newton, J. (2023, July 13). Ending Mono Lake diversions to Los Angeles would help the environment but hurt the climate. CalMatters. Retrieved July 17, 2023, from https://calmatters.org/commentary/2023/07/mono-lake-los-angeles-water/