Chapter 4. Water Flows in the Mono Basin
Mono Lake is an ancient inland sea in the eastern Sierra. It is one of the oldest continuously existing lakes in the world, and the land forms reflect the lake's ancient history. Volcanic islands rise in the middle of the lake, and tufa towers rise around the edges. The basin is a land of stark contrasts and spectacular vistas. It's also an oasis for wildlife in the high desert country. Migratory birds use the lake as a stopover location; nesting birds raise their chicks on the islands. The birds are drawn by a simple, but incredible ecosystem. Microscopic algae thrive in the lake, providing the food supply for brine shrimp and brine flies. These are astoundingly prolific organisms that can provide virtually limitless food supply for birds under proper conditions.
Mono Lake was selected for your first experience with a "real world" model because there are important lessons for policy making as well as simulation modeling. From a policy point of view, Mono Lake is a story of how
| a handful of people began a campaign to save a dying lake, taking on not only the City of Los Angeles, but the entire state government by challenging the way we think about water. Their fight seemed doomed in the beginning, but long years of grassroots education and effort finally paid off in 1994, when the California Water Resources Control Board ruled that Los Angeles's use of Mono Basin waters be restricted. Over time, the lake will return to a healthy condition....the battle over Mono Lake is one of the longest and most fiercely contested conservation battles in US history, and that rare one with a happy ending. (Hart 1996) |