Mono Lake

Mono Lake, California

It's been a battle. Los Angeles wanted the water in Lake Mono and after 1941 diverted water from the streams that feed the lake and the water levels dropped about 50 vertical feet with drastic results. But then a battle began and in the end state legislature ordered that the lake be allowed to refill to an agreed level. It still hasn't reached that level but it's getting there.

In one area of the lake there used to be underwater calcium-rich springs and rock towers, called tufa, grew around each spring. When the water levels dropped the tufas were exposed.

There's a Condor nest on one of these stacks but I didn't see the bird.

Green Rabbitbrush

And one last look at the lake. Two small islands, one black and one white, are volcanic in origin. The black one is a volcanic cone and the white one was formed by a magma uplift only 300 years ago.