Mono Lake
Mono Lake, showing nearby Lake Tahoe and Yosemite National Park
Coordinates	38°0′N 119°0′W
Lake type	Hypersaline Monomictic
Primary sources	Owens River
Primary outflows	Aquaduct Evaporation
Basin countries	USA (California)
Max-length	~7.5 km
Max-width	~7.5 km
Surface area	180 km²
Average depth	43 m
Water volume	2.97 km³
Shore length1	~25 km
Surface elevation	1945 m
Islands	Negit Island Paoha Island
1 Shore length is an imprecise measure which may not be standardized for this article.

Mono Lake is an alkaline and hypersaline lake in California, United States that is a critical nesting habitat for several bird species and is one of the most productive ecosystems in North America^{[citation needed]}. Mono Lake © 2004 Matthew Trump File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... A man-made lake in Keukenhof, Netherlands A lake is a body of water or other liquid of considerable size surrounded by land. ... Owens Valley The Owens River is a river in eastern California in the United States, approximately 120 mi (193 km) long. ... The California Water Wars was a struggle between Los Angeles, California and people living elsewhere (including the Owens Valley) over water rights. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... A drainage basin is the area within the drainage basin divide (yellow outline), and drains the surface runoff and river discharge (blue lines) of a contiguous area. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... Aerial photo of Negit Island. ... The common (Arrhenius) definition of a base is a chemical compound that either donates hydroxide ions or absorbs hydrogen ions when dissolved in water. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... An ecosystem, a contraction of ecological and system, refers to the collection of components and processes that comprise, and govern the behavior of, some defined subset of the biosphere. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ...

Geology

Satellite photo of Mono Lake

Mono Craters to the right of the image are rhyolitic domes. The dark colored Negit Island is of volcanic origin and is somewhat less than 2000 years old. Paoha Island is the larger and lighter colored island in the lake and was formed 300 years ago from uplift caused by magma movement. Black Point is the remnant of a cinder cone volcano that erupted under water in prehistoric times, when Mono Lake was much larger (and is referred to as Lake Russell). Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1280x948, 217 KB) Mono Lake in California, USA NASA Landsat 7 image. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1280x948, 217 KB) Mono Lake in California, USA NASA Landsat 7 image. ... One of the Mono craters: an excellent example of a rhyolite dome. ... Rhyolite This page is about a volcanic rock. ... Aerial photo of Negit Island. ... Volcano 1. ... Magma is molten rock located beneath the surface of the Earth (or any other rocky planet), and which often collects in a magma chamber. ... Puʻu ʻŌʻō, a cinder-and-spatter cone on Kīlauea, Hawaiʻi Volcanic cones are among the simplest volcano formations. ...

Ecology

In order to provide water for growing Los Angeles, water was diverted from the Owens River and then from the tributaries that fed Mono Lake (see California Water Wars). In 1941 the city of Los Angeles extended an aqueduct system into the Mono Basin, diverting water that would otherwise have entered Mono Lake. Nickname: City of Angels Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: State California County Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Area    - City 1,290. ... Owens Valley The Owens River is a river in eastern California in the United States, approximately 120 mi (193 km) long. ... The California Water Wars was a struggle between Los Angeles, California and people living elsewhere (including the Owens Valley) over water rights. ... This article is about the year. ... Pont du Gard, France, a Roman aqueduct built circa 19 BC. It is one of Frances top tourist attractions and a World Heritage Site. ... The Mono Basin is an endorheic basin located East of Yosemite National Park in California, United States. ...

Enough water was diverted that evaporation soon exceeded inflow and the lake level fell rapidly, exposing alkaline sands and once-submerged tufa towers, and turning Negit Island into a peninsula, exposing the nests of gulls to coyotes and forcing them to abandon the island. This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... In chemistry, an alkali (from Arabic: al-qaly) is a basic, ionic salt of an alkali metal or alkali earth metal element. ... Tufa is the name for an unusual geological formation. ... Genera Larus Rissa Pagophila Rhodostethia Xema Creagus Gulls are mammals in the family Laridae. ... Binomial name Canis latrans Say, 1823 The coyote (Canis latrans, meaning barking dog) also prairie wolf [2]) is a member of the Canidae (dog) family and a relative of the domestic dog. ...

In 1976 University of California, Davis graduate student David Gaines earned his master's degree studying the Mono Lake ecosystem and was instrumental in alerting the public of the effects of the lower water level. Gaines formed the Mono Lake Committee in 1978 and joined up with the Audubon Society to fight a now famous court battle to protect Mono Lake through state public trust laws. Despite these efforts, the lake is still lower than historic levels and exposed shorelines are a source of significant alkali dust during periods of high winds. 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ... The University of California, Davis, commonly known as UC Davis[1], is a public, coeducational university located in Davis, California, which is about fifteen miles west of Sacramento in Californias Central Valley. ... The Mono Lake Committee (MLC) is an environmental organization based in Lee Vining, California in the United States. ... The National Audubon Society is an American non-profit environmental organization dedicated to nature conservancy. ... In chemistry, an alkali (from Arabic: al-qaly) is a basic, ionic salt of an alkali metal or alkali earth metal element. ...

Owens Lake, which sustained a similar ecosystem, completely dried up because of water diversions. Mono Lake was spared the same fate on September 28, 1994, when the California State Water Resources Control Board issued an order to protect Mono Lake and its tributary streams. Since that time the lake level has steadily risen; in 1941 the lake level was at 6417 feet above sea level and as of 2004 it was at 6381 feet (1945 m)^[1]. The goal is to have lake level rise to 6392 feet above sea level, a goal made more difficult by drought in the American West. September 28 is the 271st day of the year (272nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Mono Lake from Mount Dana Summit

The lake contains approximately 280 million tons of dissolved salts, with the salinity varying on the amount of water in the lake at any given time. Before 1941, the salinity was approximately 50 grams per liter (g/l) (compared to a value of 31.5 g/l for the world's oceans). In 1982, when the lake reached its lowest level, the salinity had nearly doubled to 99 g/l. In 2002 it was measured at 78 g/l and is expected to stablize at an average 69 g/l as the lake replenishes over the next 20 years. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (3072x2048, 450 KB) Photo of Mono Lake, taken from above Mount Dana, California by me. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (3072x2048, 450 KB) Photo of Mono Lake, taken from above Mount Dana, California by me. ... Mount Dana is a mountain on the eastern edge of Yosemite National Park and is the second highest peak within the park after Mount Lyell. ... Annual mean sea surface salinity for the World Ocean. ... This article is about the year. ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The hypersalinity and high alkalinity (pH=10 or equivalent to 2.5 grams of NaOH per liter of water^[2]) of the lake, means that no fish are native to the lake. An attempt by the California Department of Fish and Game to stock the lake failed. The lake is famous for the Mono Lake brine shrimp, Artemia monica, a tiny species of brine shrimp, no bigger than a thumbnail, that are found nowhere else on earth. During the warmer summer months, an estimated 4-6 trillion brine shrimp inhabit the lake. The species has no food value for humans, but is a staple for birds of the region. Also an important food source, alkali flies ("Ephydra hians") live along the shores of the lake and walk underwater encased in small air bubbles to graze and to lay eggs. The whole food chain of the lake is based on the high population of single-celled algae present in the warm shallow waters. Sodium hydroxide (NaOH), also known as lye or caustic soda, is a caustic metallic base. ... The California Department of Fish and Game is one of fifteen Environment and Natural Resources Agencies in California. ... Species Artemia franciscana Artemia gracilis Artemia monica Artemia nyos Artemia parartemia Artemia parthenogenetica Artemia persimilis Artemia pollicaris Artemia salina Artemia sinica Artemia tibetiana Artemia tunesiana Artemia urmiana Brine shrimp (Artemia) are a type of aquatic crustacean. ... Species Artemia franciscana Artemia gracilis Artemia monica Artemia nyos Artemia parartemia Artemia parthenogenetica Artemia persimilis Artemia pollicaris Artemia salina Artemia sinica Artemia tibetiana Artemia tunesiana Artemia urmiana Brine shrimp (Artemia) are a type of aquatic crustacean. ... A seaweed (Laurencia) up close: the branches are multicellular and only about 1 mm thick. ...

Exposed tufa towers in the lake

Mono Lake is a vital resting and eating stop for migratory shorebirds and has been recognized as an International Reserve in the Western Hemisphere Reserve Network. Nearly 2,000,000 waterbirds, including 35 species of shorebirds, use Mono Lake to rest and eat for at least part of the year. Some shorebirds that depend on the resources of Mono Lake include American avocets, Killdeers, and sandpipers. Over 1.5 million eared grebes and phalaropes use Mono Lake during their long migrations. Tufa towers at Mono Lake. ... Tufa towers at Mono Lake. ... Tufa is the name for an unusual geological formation. ... Families Charadridae Jacanidae Rostratulidae Ibidorhynchidae Recurvirostridae Haematopodidae Scolopacidae Dromadidae Burhinidae Glareolidae Thinocoridae Waders, called Shorebirds in North America (where wader is used to refer to long-legged wading birds such as storks and herons), are members of the order Charadriiformes, excluding the more marine web-footed seabird groups. ... Falcated Duck at Slimbridge Wildfowl and Wetlands centre, Gloucestershire, England Wildfowl or waterfowl, also waterbirds, is the collective term for the approximately 147 species of swans, geese and ducks, classified in the order Anseriformes, family Anatidae. ... In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biodiversity. ... Binomial name Recurvirostra americana Gmelin, 1789 The American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana) is a large wader in the avocet and stilt family, Recurvirostridae. ... Binomial name Charadrius vociferus Linnaeus, 1758 The Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus, is a medium-sized plover. ... Families Charadridae Jacanidae Rostratulidae Ibidorhynchidae Recurvirostridae Haematopodidae Scolopacidae Dromadidae Burhinidae Glareolidae Thinocoridae Waders, called Shorebirds in North America (where wader is used to refer to long-legged wading birds such as storks and herons), are members of the order Charadriiformes, excluding the more marine web-footed seabird groups. ... Binomial name Podiceps nigricollis Brehm, 1831 The Black-necked Grebe, Podiceps nigricollis †, is a member of the grebe family of water birds. ... Species Red Phalarope, Red-necked Phalarope, Wilsons Phalarope, The name Phalarope refers to any of three species of slender-necked shorebirds in the genus Phalaropus of the bird family Scolopacidae. ...

Late every summer tens of thousands of Wilson's phalaropes and red-necked phalaropes arrive from their nesting grounds, and feed until they continue their migration to South America or the tropical oceans respectively. Binomial name Phalaropus tricolor (Vieillot, 1819) The Wilsons Phalarope, Phalaropus tricolor, is a small wader. ... Binomial name Phalaropus lobatus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Red-necked Phalarope, Phalaropus lobatus, is a small wader. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ...

In addition to migratory birds, a few species spend several months to nest at Mono Lake. Over 85% of the state population of California gulls nest at Mono Lake each year. After abandoning the landbridged Negit Island in the late 70s, California gulls have moved to some nearby islets and have established new, if less protected nesting sites. Cornell University and Point Reyes Bird Observatory have continued the study of nesting populations on Mono Lake that was begun over 20 years ago. Snowy Plovers also arrive at Mono Lake each spring to nest along the remote eastern shores.

In Mark Twain's Roughing It (1872), chapter 38 and chapter 39 provide a humorous but informative early description of Mono Lake in its natural condition in the 1860's. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, the lead section of this article may need to be expanded. ... Roughing It is a semi-non-fiction work written by American author Mark Twain. ...

Native people of Mono Lake

Captain John. Leader of the Yosemite-Mono Lake Paiutes

The early people of Mono Lake were called the Kutzadika'a who were the Yosemite-Mono Lake Paiutes. Mono Lake Paiutes cultivated alkali fly larve called kutsavi in their language. Mono Lake was also referred to as Teniega Bah. The origin of the term "Mono Lake" is unknown^[3]. Apparently, "Mono" is a Yokut term for "fly eater". The Kutzadika'a did not use the term "Mono". Image File history File links Captain John. ... Image File history File links Captain John. ... Yosemite National Park (pron. ... Paiute (sometimes written as Piute) refers to two related groups -- Northern Paiute and Southern Paiute--of Native North Americans speaking languages belonging to the Numic branch of the Uto-Aztecan family of Native American languages. ... The Yokuts were an ethnic group of Native Americans that lived in California. ...

During early contact the first known chief was Captain John. He was also referred to by the Paiute names of Shibana or Poko Tucket. Captain John was the son of another Paiute named the older Captain John.

The Yosemite-Mono Lake Paiutes would also camp yearly at Hetch Hetchy, Yosemite Valley, and along the Merced River to gather acorns and different plant species. Hetch Hetchy Valley is a glacial valley in Yosemite National Park in California. ... Yosemite Valley with Half Dome in the distance. ... The Merced River is in California. ... This article is about the seed; for other meanings of the word, especially ACORN community organization, see acorn (disambiguation). ...

Important species residing in Mono Lake

Lake alkali flies

Larus californicus

• Alkali fly (Ephydra hians)
• Brine shrimp (Artemia monica)
• California gull (Larus californicus)

Image taken in June 2004 by Daniel Mayer. ... Image taken in June 2004 by Daniel Mayer. ... Download high resolution version (1000x603, 106 KB)Image taken in June 2004 by Daniel Mayer. ... Download high resolution version (1000x603, 106 KB)Image taken in June 2004 by Daniel Mayer. ... Species Artemia franciscana Artemia gracilis Artemia monica Artemia nyos Artemia parartemia Artemia parthenogenetica Artemia persimilis Artemia pollicaris Artemia salina Artemia sinica Artemia tibetiana Artemia tunesiana Artemia urmiana Brine shrimp (Artemia) are a type of aquatic crustacean. ... Binomial name Larus californicus (Lawrence, 1854) The California Gull, Larus californicus, is a medium-sized gull, smaller than the Herring Gull but larger than the Ring-billed Gull. ...

See also

• Inyo and Mono Craters
• Map of Long Valley-Mono area
• Photo of glacial Mono Lake's shoreline
• Photo of Mono Lake Visitor's Center
• Mono Lake as seen from 32,000 feet

One of the Mono craters: an excellent example of a rhyolite dome. ... Download high resolution version (600x668, 115 KB) [1] This image is not an orphan—see Long Valley Caldera This image is needed as it is either linked from a text link or is otherwise useful, even though it appears to have nothing linking to it. ... Image taken in September 2003 by Daniel Mayer. ... Image taken in September 2003 by Daniel Mayer. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (3008x1702, 516 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Mono Lake Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to...

References

• World Lake Database entry for Mono Lake

1. ^ Monthly Lake Levels. Mono Lake Committee. Retrieved on 2004.
2. ^ Living in an Alkaline Environment. Retrieved on 2004.
3. ^ Kutzadika'a People. Mono Lake Committee. Retrieved on 2006-04-02.

2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... April 2 is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 273 days remaining. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mono Lake

• Mono Lake Website
• Photos of Mono Lake - Terra Galleria
• Photos of Mono Lake - Joe Decker/Rock Slide Photography
• Photos of Mono Lake - Jim Stimson
• Photos of Mono Lake - IanAndWendy.com
• Spherical Panorama of Mono Lake and Tufas - Carel Struycken
• Joe Dorward's website with a panoramic view of Mono Lake from Conway Summit
• Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: 38.016506° -119.008999°
  • WikiSatellite view at - WikiMapia
  • Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local
  • Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
  • Topographic map from TopoZone
  • Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA