Upon first glance at the Mono Lake Tufa State Reserve, it's not hard to imagine that you've left Earth entirely and have landed on a different planet. The shallow saline lake, located right in the middle of the desert, is surrounded by strange, towering formations known as "tufa" that give the whole area and "otherworldly" feel- or, if you're Mark Twain, Mono Lake is more of a "lifeless, treeless, hideous desert.. the loneliest place on earth." It's all about your attitude, I suppose.
Mono Lake is actually a remnant of one of America's oldest lakes, formed 760,000 years ago in a very volcanic and geologically active part of Southern California. Because the lake doesn't drain into an ocean, it's highly saline and alkaline. That means when you go for a swim in Mono Lake, you'll feel extra buoyant in the water- it also means that the water will sting your eyes and any cuts you have as well! It's also the cause of the signature tufa towers-- the tufa, which are basically made of common limestone, formed when the area was underwater. Chemical reactions built up the limestone, and when the level of water in the lake dropped, the towers were revealed.
The lake's delicate ecosystem was disrupted when, in the 1940's, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power began diverting water from the lake's basin to theor aqueduct. Within 50 years, the lake's level dropped an astonishing 45 vertical feet. More tufa towers exposed, islands were formed in the middle of the lake and the salinity of the water doubled. After a decade-long legal battle that began in the 80's, the California State Water Resources Control Board finally voted to protect Mono Lake. Now, they're trying to raise the water level and get the lake back to a healthy and stable condition. You can still visit, swim in the lake, and hike around the trails that take you past impressive tufa towers (pro tip: the light at sunrise and sunset is especially striking!)
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