Our planet is home to dozens of unique places that just feel - otherworldly.
Located in central California at the eastern portal to Yosemite National Park, Mono Lake
is one such place that narrowly escaped an almost certain fate during the California
water wars of the early 20th century.
I can't wait to tell you all about it, so be sure to like this video, subscribe to this
channel and turn on notifications for future updates.
Mono Lake is an alkaline lake that formed nearly 760,000 years ago during the Ice Age
in an endorheic basin, meaning it doesn't have a natural outflow.
While it does have several fresh water tributaries, the lack of an outflow means equilibrium is
achieved solely through evaporation - a natural process which contributes to the lake's hypersalinity
and high alkalinity.
These two qualities are what created one of Mono Lake's most iconic features - the Tufa
Towers; large monolithic structures that are formed when calcium entering through underwater
springs mixes with carbonates in the lake water in a chemical reaction that creates
limestone.
In 1872, Mark Twain documented his adventures at Mono Lake in his autobiography titled Roughing
It.
His humorous account makes his disdain for the area quite evident - at one point describing
the lake as a "solemn, silent, sail-less sea," a "lonely tenant of the loneliest spot on
earth" that is "little graced with the picturesque."
He even wrote about his fear of capsizing on the lake because in his words, "once capsized,
death would ensue in spite of the bravest swimming, for that venomous water would eat
a man's eyes out like fire and burn him out inside, too."
After visiting Mono Lake for myself, I'm starting to think that Mark Twain was a bit of a drama
queen.
The salinity and alkalinity of the lake actually make it perfectly safe if not healthful to
swim in.
Mono's hypersalinity and alkalinity make it impossible for fish to survive in.
In fact, the California Department of Fish and Game once tried to stock the lake, but
the fish quickly died off.
However, the salty conditions make the lake a breeding ground for billions of brine shrimp
and alkali flies that are a vital food source to several species of migratory shorebirds.
Located within a geologically active area, the U.S. Geological Survey has classified
the Mono Lake volcanic field as having a moderate threat potential, which means the area requires
basic real-time monitoring coverage and is the second highest priority in California
after Mt. Lassen & Mt. Shasta.
Eruptions have occurred at 500-year intervals over the past 3,000 years with the last one
occurring sometime between 1720 and 1850.
This recent eruption was responsible for forming Paoha Island - one of Mono's two major islands.
Mono Lake has survived thousands of years of chaotic natural processes.
But perhaps one of the biggest threats to its survival occurred only within the last
100 years - something that has solidified its place in environmental case law.
In 1913, William Mulholland was at the pinnacle of his career as the superintendent of the
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, or LADWP.
He had a vision of growing Los Angeles into a major metropolitan area.
With relentless determination he oversaw the creation of the Los Angeles Aqueduct - a massive
infrastructure project and important landmark that allowed Los Angeles to grow into the
major metropolis it is today.
However, if there's a term to describe Mulholland, honest environmentalist is not one of them.
Had the ruthless Irish-American civil engineer gotten his way, a massive dam would've been
constructed in the iconic Yosemite Valley.
However, he wasn't completely heartless.
He conceded that he would have first had the valley "carefully photographed" so people
could remember what was destroyed.
Mulholland's master plan for the Los Angeles Aqueduct was to essentially steal water from
Northern California by diverting the Owens River south to a reservoir in the San Fernando
Valley.
This dramatically decreased the level of Mono Lake which relies on tributaries from Owens
River.
To make matters worse, the LADWP extended the aqueduct system northward in 1941 which
lead to more water being diverted from Mono Lake - further endangering an already fragile
ecosystem.
A graduate student from Stanford University by the name of David Gaines took notice of
the problem in 1974 when the lake had reduced by almost 69% of its 1941 surface area.
In 1977, together with students from UC Davis and UC Santa Cruz, he published a report that
awakened the public to the crisis.
Gaines' efforts eventually lead to a famous court battle in National Audubon Society v.
Superior Court.
In a landmark decision, the California Supreme Court had found that the state of California
violated public trust doctrine when it issued diversion permits to the LADWP.
The public trust doctrine dates back to Roman Emperor Justinian, when in 530 A.D. he declared,
"By the law of nature these things are common to all mankind; the air, running water, the
sea and consequently the shores of the sea."
So yes, the next time you take a stroll down the beach, you can thank a dead Roman Emperor.
As a result of this litigation, the California State Water Resources Control Board issued
a protective order to save Mono Lake by maintaining a goal lake level of 6,392 feet above sea
level through less water diversion.
As of today, the lake is slightly under that goal due to challenges from recent droughts,
but the protective order was an important step in preserving this important natural
resource.
Today, organizations like the Mono Lake Committee and its team of volunteers are committed to
the protection and restoration of Mono Lake.
Hey thanks guys for tuning into this video.
My hope is that it will challenge you to think about our collective role as humans to protecting
our natural resources.
And no, this doesn't mean you have to be a crazy tree hugger or environmentalist fanatic.
You've heard that ignorance is bliss, but awareness can go a long way in ensuring that
our important natural resources aren't squandered by future urban development.
This can take many forms, including holding our elected officials accountable rather than
blindly accepting what they tell us at face value.
Thanks for tuning in and remember to never stop exploring!