Halt the Decline at Mono Lake

Los Angeles should realize by now that it never will win its dogged legal battle to continue its historic diversion of eastern Sierra streams that naturally flow into Mono Lake. As long as the Department of Water and Power takes as much water as it has over the years, the level of the unique lake 300 miles north of Los Angeles will continue to drop. At some point, the decline must be halted. Now is an appropriate time because any further reduction is certain to trigger additional environmental damage, according to a long series of scientific studies that have been conducted over the years.

Curiously, the DWP argued in El Dorado County Superior Court last week that it needs to lower the lake even further so it can conduct even more scientific studies to see whether, indeed, there would be any environmental harm. But one could follow that line of reasoning on and on, until the lake is a lake no more. Mono Lake now is 6,377 feet above sea level, very close to its historic low and the point at which Negrit Island, an important nesting area for the California gull, is connected to the shore by a land bridge and thus becomes accessible to coyotes and other predators.

Four studies have recommended that the lake level not be allowed to drop below 6,377 feet and that it be maintained at between 6,377 feet and 6,390 feet. The Mono Lake Committee and the Audubon Society argued for an injunction to halt the decline at 6,377 feet. There is plenty of evidence in the 10-year court fight over Mono Lake to justify such a ruling. The lake level has dropped 40 feet since the diversions began in 1941.

The city, of course, will lose water--an estimated 63,000 acre-feet during the next year, or about 15% of the city’s annual consumption. The department also will lose the electric power generated as the water falls through the Los Angeles Aqueduct en route to the city. Negotiations are under way to find replacement water. Until that is achieved, the city can make up the loss from its entitlement from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

Both city officials and state Assemblyman Phillip Isenberg (D-Sacramento) are right when they say the state and federal governments should help compensate Los Angeles, since Mono Lake needs to be protected both as a statewide and national environmental asset. Isenberg is sponsoring legislation to do that. And he noted correctly in a recent speech: “If we don’t step in, Los Angeles is going to lose about 10 years from now, but the lake will be dead. And that will be no victory at all.”