Monday Top of the Scroll: Water decision by Los Angeles expected to help Mono Lake
City leaders in Los Angeles have announced plans to take a limited amount of water from creeks that feed Mono Lake this year, a step that environmentalists say will help build on a recent rise in the lake’s level over the last year. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said it plans to export 4,500 acre-feet of water from the Mono Basin during the current runoff year, the same amount that was diverted the previous year, and enough to supply about 18,000 households for a year. Under the current rules, the city could take much more — up to 16,000 acre-feet this year. But environmental advocates had recently urged Mayor Karen Bass not to increase water diversions to help preserve recent gains and begin to boost the long-depleted lake toward healthier levels. They praised the decision by city leaders as an important step.
Related Sierra Nevada watershed stories:
- San Francisco Chronicle: Yosemite’s waterfalls are ‘absolute perfection’ this spring. Here’s when they’ll peak
- ABC 10 – Sacramento: Lake Tahoe full for first time since 2019
- Roseville Today: Summer 2024 Outlook At California’s 10 Largest Reservoirs