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Mono Lake is in the eastern Sierra Nevada mountains of California, near Yosemite and not far from the Nevada border. Mono Lake is unusual for two things. First, the lake is so salty and alkaline (far more so than the ocean) that it’s a unique ecosystem in which only specially-adapted brine shrimp and brine flies can live. The flies swarm everywhere around the lake, an apparently harmless nuisance. But their pupae, when collected and dried, are a good source of protein and were the staple diet of the local Paiute Indians. In fact, the name “Mono” (pronounced “MOE-no”) came from the name the neighboring Yokut gave the Paiutes: “fly people” or “eaters of fly pupae.” If you go to the Mono Lake visitor center you can sample some of the pupae. They’re crunchy, salty, and somewhat reminiscent of roasted soybeans or nuts. The flies also provide a feast for local shore birds, as well as for various migratory species.

Second, and the reason most people visit Mono Lake, are the myriad tufa formations. Volcanic, mineral-laden water seeps from vents under the lake. When this hot water hits the cold, alkaline water of the lake, limestone (calcium carbonate) precipitates and hardens. Gradually, the limestone builds up around the vents into spectacular towers and spires under the lake. As the lake dried out, the tufa formations became exposed and visible.

At Navy Beach on the south shore of the lake, the volcanic hot water vents ran through sandy soil, producing the delicate structures of “tubes” and “pipes” called sand tufa formations. The sand eventually hardened into sandstone, capped with precipitated limestone.

When I took these pictures in September 1994 the lake’s water level was at a historic low, revealing islands, land bridges, and fragile tufa formations. For most of the 20th century the eastern Sierra region has provided prodigious quantities of water for Los Angeles, allowing a burgeoning population to live in a semi-desert. When the Owens Valley south of Mono Lake no longer provided enough water, Los Angeles officials extended the aqueducts to tap the sources of Mono Lake.

As you might expect, the residents of the eastern Sierra were not especially happy to see their water supply shipped south, turning their formerly scenic and fertile farm land into a dust bowl. They have been fighting the Los Angeles water officials in court for decades. Mono Lake has been their major success. Under a 1994 ruling, the diversion of water from the sources of the lake has been significantly reduced. The lake level has begun to rise noticeably. So by now at least some of the tufa formations on this page should be under water again.

Just north of Mono Lake is the ghost town of Bodie. Once a thriving community, it is now a State Historic Park, maintained in a state of “arrested decay” to appear much as it did when it was abandoned in the 1930s.

The fine print: All pictures and text are copyright © 1994 and 2003 by Ted R. Marcus and may not be reproduced without permission. For information about licensing any of these images for Web, print, stock, or other uses, contact me.