In 1941, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power began diverting Mono Lake's tributary streams 350 miles south to meet the growing water demands of Los Angeles.

In 1962, Mono Lake had dropped almost 25 vertical feet. By 1995, the lake had dropped over 40 feet. Mono Lake was less than half its size when water diversion began.

Deprived of its freshwater, its salinity doubled. Unable to adapt to these changing conditions within such a short period of time, the ecosystem began to collapse. Conservation and legislative efforts have since stabilized the lake.

"Tufa towers" appear around the lake. Tufa are calcium-carbonate spires and knobs formed when freshwater springs mix with the alkaline lake water.