Mono Lake located on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada is one of the oldest lakes in the Western Hemisphere. The lake shimmering water reflects the powder blue sky. The cream-colored tufa towers catches the changing sunlight from dawn to dusk.

The established reserve preserve the spectacular "tufa towers," calcium-carbonate spires and knobs formed by interaction of freshwater springs and alkaline lake water. The water at Mono Lake is so alkaline because streams that flow into the lake can not escape. Water loss from Mono Lake is through evaporation and the water has a very high concentration of dissolved salts of chlorides, carbonates and sulfates.

Mono Lake is the nesting area for abundance of water birds. Eighty percent of the California Sea Gulf nest on the now isolated islands in the lake. It is also located along the popular flyways of migrating birds.