Mono Lake

Mono Lake is a saline lake on the east side of the Sierra Nevada, in the U.S. state of California. It is endorheic, meaning that it does not connect with the sea. It is fed by streams flowing off the east side of the mountain range, including Rush Creek, Lee Vining Creek and Mill Creek. Lee Vining Creek has its headwaters near Tioga Pass, near Yosemite National Park.

The lake covers 69 square miles (180 square kilometers) and is about 4.7 miles (7.6 km) long. It is a very ancient lake, and is thought to have formed 760,000 years ago. In the 20th century, the city of Los Angeles began to take water from the streams feeding Mono Lake. This caused the lake to fall, exposing unique tufa formations.

Mono Lake Media

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  Landsat image of Mono Lake.

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  These are original sketches of thinolite made by Edward S. Dana from his book from 1884: Crystallographic Study of the Thinolite of Lake Lahontan.

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  Mono Lake's "South Tufa" area.

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  Large numbers of alkali flies at Mono Lake.

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  Artemia monica, the Mono Lake brine shrimp.

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  A female Audubon's warbler on tufa in the "South Tufa" area.

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  Exposed tufa towers in Mono Lake; South Tufa (1981).

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  Mono Lake viewed from the summit of Mount Dana. Note near-landbridge at left, almost connecting Negit Island with the mainland shoreline.

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  Aerial view of Mono Lake in May 2019, with generous snow pack promising a good summer for the lake.

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  "South Tufa, Mono Lake" (2013).