Mono Lake, California

Negit (L) and Paoha (R) Islands in Mono Lake, California

Half a dozen little mountain brooks flow into Mono Lake, but not a stream of any kind flows out of it. It neither rises or falls, apparently, and what it does with its surplus water is a dark and bloody mystery."
Mark Twain, 1872

Although Mono Lake has no outlet, about 45 vertical inches (115 cm) of water is lost each year to evaporation in the dry climate. Freshwater in-flow is critical to replace this loss and maintain a healthy ecosystem. Five streams, fed by the Sierra snowpack, provide most of the freshwater flowing into Mono Lake. Water also enters the lake from underground sources as seeps and springs. Rain and snow falling directly into the lake average about 7 inches (18 cm) of water each year.

Mono Lake water is different from that of most other California lakes. Here is what you would have to add to the water from Lake Tahoe to make Mono's waters:

To a quart of water add:
2 ½ Tablespoons of table salt (chloride)
1 ½ Tablespoons of baking soda (carbonate)
2 Tablespoons of epsom salt (sulfate)
a pinch of borax
a pinch of detergent

Fish do not live in this lake, but Brine Shrimp and Alkali Fly Pupa do, providing a food source for the different species of migratory birds that visit this lake.

animals: Butterflies, Grebes, Turkey Vulture, Hawk
places: San Diego, CA to Genoa, NV; I-15; I-215; US 395; NV 206
particulars: cheap gas: Fort Independence Travel Plaza, Independence, CA