Mono Lake Committee

Mono Lake Committee
Name	Mono Lake Committee
Formation	1978
Headquarters	Lee Vining, California
Region served	Mono Lake Basin, California
Purpose	Conservation of Mono Lake ecosystem and watershed protection

Mono Lake Committee is an environmental organization formed to protect the Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area, Mono Lake and its watershed. The group emerged amid conflicts involving the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Owens Valley, and downstream diversions that affected saline lake hydrology, brine shrimp populations, and migratory bird habitat. Through litigation, science partnerships, education programs, and public outreach the organization helped shape water policy in the Sierra Nevada region and influenced state-level water management decisions in California.

History

The Committee was founded in 1978 in response to ecological decline at Mono Lake caused by water diversions by the Los Angeles Aqueduct operated by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Early advocates included scientists, local residents from Lee Vining, California, and environmentalists connected to groups such as the Sierra Club, National Audubon Society, and Natural Resources Defense Council. Legal and policy battles in the 1980s involved the California State Water Resources Control Board and culminated in influential court decisions referencing environmental impact standards under the California Environmental Quality Act and public trust doctrine cases linked to precedents like National Audubon Society v. Superior Court (1983). The Committee worked with federal agencies including the U.S. Forest Service following designation of the Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area and coordinated with state entities such as the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Mission and Activities

The organization’s mission centers on protection of Mono Lake, conservation of saline lake ecosystems, and sustainable management of the Mono Basin watershed. Activities include scientific collaboration with institutions like the University of California, Berkeley, University of California, Davis, Stanford University, and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography; partnerships with conservation NGOs such as The Nature Conservancy and Environmental Defense Fund; and coordination with federal agencies including the National Park Service and the U.S. Geological Survey. The Committee promotes policies guided by statutes and regulations including the California Environmental Quality Act and decisions by the California State Water Resources Control Board.

Environmental Advocacy and Legal Actions

Advocacy efforts featured litigation and administrative petitions aimed at altering diversions by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and securing in-stream flows for tributaries like Rush Creek and Lee Vining Creek. Landmark legal frameworks and rulings connected to the Committee’s work include references to the public trust doctrine as applied in National Audubon Society v. Superior Court (1983), and regulatory actions by the California State Water Resources Control Board establishing water levels for Mono Lake. The Committee engaged with stakeholders such as the Mono County Board of Supervisors, the Inyo County government, and local water districts including the Los Angeles City Council and regional water agencies. Litigation and settlements involved law firms, conservation coalitions, and amici including the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund and national conservation organizations.

Research and Monitoring

The Committee supports and commissions scientific monitoring of hydrology, salinity, limnology, and biota at Mono Lake, including studies of brine shrimp (Artemia spp.), brine flies (Ephydridae), and avian populations such as California gulls and migratory species protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Research collaborations have included faculty and researchers from University of California, Los Angeles, California Institute of Technology, Pomona College, and federal scientists from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Geological Survey. Monitoring efforts address lake level reconstructions using methods from paleolimnology and dendrochronology and incorporate data used by regulatory bodies including the California State Water Resources Control Board and the U.S. Forest Service for adaptive management. Long-term datasets inform ecological models and restoration plans for tributaries such as Walker Creek and Hot Creek.

Public Education and Outreach

Educational programming targets visitors, students, and regional stakeholders through visitor centers in Lee Vining, California, guided field trips to tufa towers at Mono Lake, and curricula for schools in Mono County and neighboring districts. The Committee produces interpretive materials referencing regional natural history tied to the Sierra Nevada and the Great Basin and partners with museums and cultural institutions such as the Mammoth Lakes Museum and local historical societies. Outreach includes docent-led birding tours that highlight species listed under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and collaboration with university extension programs from institutions like the University of California Cooperative Extension.

Organizational Structure and Funding

The Committee operates as a nonprofit organization with a board of directors composed of local community leaders, scientists, and conservation professionals. Funding sources include membership dues, philanthropic grants from foundations such as the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, program service revenue from guided tours and educational programs, and donations from individual supporters. The organization manages grants and contracts with agencies like the National Park Service and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and maintains partnerships with conservation funders and academic institutions. Administrative operations are based in Lee Vining, California, and the Committee coordinates volunteer efforts, citizen science projects, and seasonal staff programs drawn from regional colleges and conservation corps such as the California Conservation Corps.

Category:Environmental organizations based in California Category:Mono County, California