Mono Rises Again
Mile 2,791, Mono Lake, CA
A symbol of environmentalists fighting back, salty Mono Lake is slowly gaining its liquid strength after nearly being drained by politicians funneling the water to Los Angeles. Mono has gained back nearly 25% of its volume since its low point from 1982, and as it rises, the lake is drowning the tall, almost unearthly tufa towers (shown in foreground) that have made the lake a scenic attraction for decades. I guess you can’t have it both ways. We get a better look at Lake Mono and the tufas in our 2011 Update.