SW BU-153 Mono Lake - a large, shallow, saline soda lake in California

Mono Lake is a large, shallow, saline soda lake in California's spectacular Eastern Sierra.  The lake is an oasis in the dry Great Basin.  The lake has an average depth of 17.4m (57 ft) and its maximum depth is only 48.5m (159 ft).  Mono Lake was formed at least 760,000 years ago as a terminal lake in a endorheic basin. The lack of an outlet causes high levels of salts to accumulate in the lake. These salts also make the lake water alkaline.

 

The hypersalinity (8 g/l) and high alkalinity (pH=10  equivalent to 4 milligrams of NaOH per litre of water) of the lake means that no fish are native to the lake.



Brine shrimp - Artemia monica

The whole food chain of the lake is based on the high population of single-celled planktonic algae present in the lake. These algae reproduce rapidly during winter and early spring after winter runoff brings nutrients to the surface layer of water. By March the lake is "as green as pea soup" with photosynthesizing algae.

 

The lake is famous for the Mono Lake brine shrimp, Artemia monica, a tiny species of brine shrimp, no bigger than a thumbnail, that are endemic. During the warmer summer months, an estimated 4–6 trillion brine shrimp inhabit the lake. Brine shrimp have no food value for humans, but are a staple for birds of the region. The brine shrimp feed on the microscopic algae.

This desert lake is an important spot providing critical nesting habitat for two million annual migratory birds that feed on the shrimp.

This postcard came from Judee0624 (29 June 2014) Swap-bot.