Mono Lake, the Salton Sea and the Great Salt Lake are all western inland water sources under assault by man's short sightedness.
Los Angeles has been taking water from Mono Lake in the Eastern Sierras since 1941. As the water recedes calcium carbonate tufa are exposed faster than they would be otherwise. They're strangely beautiful, but the increased rate of their exposure is a sign of bad environmental health. Mono Lake is getting saltier and saltier. Arsenic levels increase. This affects the health of the alkali flies and brine shrimp which are food for the millions of migrating birds which come to the lake each year. Ironically, the lake remains visually fascinating.
The Salton Sea was created by accident in 1905 when a poorly constructed irrigation system gave way allowing Colorado River water to flow into this southern California basin. In a short 2 years it was a 400 square mile Salton Sea. A tourist hot spot in the '50's and '60's, fish and birds started dying at alarming rates in the '70's as evaporation increased salinity and algae blooms. The effect of toxic fertilizers from surrounding farms flowing into the receding lake is exacerbated as climate change increases temperatures speeding up evaporation. The toxic dust poisons people. The toxic water kills wildlife even at the refuge at the southern end of the lake. The lake here, as it does all around the lake, looks extremely unhealthy. And the smell can be awful. But the geothermal plants near the bird refuge are a hopeful sign. It means a cleaner form of energy and the collection of lithium which comes up the tubes from deep inside the earth means new industrial opportunities. There are promises to address the poisonous lake situation. In January 2023 I saw a lot more evidence of pipes being laid, land dug up and endless piles of concrete debris. Change seems to be in progress - hopefully for the environment not greed.
The Great Salt Lake in Utah is shrinking because of residential and industrial water diversions. This impacts mineral extraction, brine shrimp harvesting, recreation and the wetlands surrounding the lake. And the Great Salt Lake is one of the most important landing sites for migrating birds in North America! Dust is created as the lake recedes causing respiratory problems in humans and carcinogenic arsenic levels in the lake bed. But the water diversions persist as new housing developments and industry expand around the dry lake bed. Utah uses the 2nd highest per capita amount of water in the country and water is cheap in Utah which doesn't encourage conservation.
