Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve Park Brochure

8/9/2019 Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve Park Brochure

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Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve1 Visitor Center Drive

Lee Vining, CA 93541

(760) 647-6331

e-mail: [email protected]

Front Cover Photo by Jim Stimson

© 1997 California State Parks (Rev. 2009) Printed on Recycled Paper

Our MissionThe mission o Caliornia State Parks is

to provide or the health, inspiration and

education o the people o Caliornia by

helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary

biological diversity, protecting its most

valued natural and cultural resources, and

creating opportunities or high-quality

outdoor recreation.

www.parks.ca.gov

Caliornia State Parks supports equal access.Prior to arrival, visitors with disabilities who

need assistance should contact the park at

(760) 647-6331. This publication is available

in alternate ormats by contacting:

CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS

P. O. Box 942896Sacramento, CA 94296-0001

For inormation call: (800) 777-0369(916) 653-6995, outside the U.S.

711, TTY relay service

Discover the many states of California.TM

“A country o wonderul contrasts,

hot deserts bordered by snow-

laden mountains, cinders and

ashes scattered on glacier-polished

pavement, rost and fre working

together in the making o beauty.”

John Muir



Wildlife

Mono Lake has been called a dead sea,but it actually abounds with lie. Fewanimals can tolerate Mono’s salty, alkaline water, but these ew species thrive in

astronomical numbers.The ood chain begins with green algae,

a microscopic one-celled plant. Algae usesdecayed organic matter and sunlight togrow. In the winter, when the algae blooms,the lake may become pea soup green.

Two animals east on the algae—thebrine shrimp and the alkali fy.

Alkali fy emales can actually walk intothe lake in an air bubble and lay their eggs

on pieces o rock or tua. An egg becomesa larva and then a pupa beore the adultfy nally emerges. The pupa stage o the alkali fy was collected by the localKuzedika Paiute Indians and used as a oodsource and trade item.

The hal-inch long brine shrimpcan be seen in Mono Lake rom Aprilthrough October. At the height o thesummer season, an estimated our trillion

shrimp swim in Mono’s waters. As winter approaches the adult brine shrimp beginto die o, but not beore they lay eggs that will overwinter in the lake-bottom mud.The eggs hatch out as the lake water warmsin the spring. Mono’s shrimp (Artemiamonica) are thought to be a uniquespecies that has adapted to Mono’s specialconditions.

Mono’s shrimp and fies provide aplentiul ood supply or more than eightyspecies o migratory birds that visit thelake each spring and summer. Particularlynotable bird species include three

migrants: Wilson’s and red-necked phalaropesand eared grebes, and two nesting species:Caliornia gulls and Snowy plovers.

The small, graceul phalaropes are

delightul to watch as they pick alkali fies o the surace o the lake or snatch them romthe air. From 80,000 to 100,000 phalaropesvisit Mono Lake in July and August. They winter in warmer South Americanclimates.

Eared grebesvisit Mono Lakein astonishing

numbers. Anestimated1.5 million o them make aspectacular sightduring the allmigration rom August throughOctober. Grebescan be seen

diving or ood inthe lake, but arenever seen onland as their legsare designed or swimming rather than walking.

About 50,000adult Caliorniagulls fy to MonoLake rom thecoast each springto nest, whereood and island

California Gull

Alkali Fly

BrineShrimp

Algae

Detritus (decayed organic matter)

nesting sites are plentiul. Approximately90% o the Caliornia population o thisspecies are born at Mono Lake.

Endangered snowy plovers nest along

the windswept alkali fats o Mono Lake’seastern shore. Approximately 100 Snowyplovers nest along the windswept alkali fatso Mono Lake’s eastern shore.



CarsonPeak

TheMinarets

Banner Peak

Mt.Wood

Parker Peak

KoipPeak

Mt.Lewis Mono Pass

(Bloody Canyon)

Mt.Gibbs

GibbsCanyon

Mt. Dana

TiogaPeak

Lee ViningPeak

TiogaPass

GeologyMono Lake’s modern landscape has been shaped over millions o years by aulting and volcanic activity.

For the last three to our million years, the whole basin has been tilting westward and sinking while the Sierra has been rising. This ongoing process has

created the majestic contrast o a desert lake bordered by high mountain peaks. As the western foor o the Mono Basin slipped downwards, its southernand northern margins tilted slowly towards its center, orming a bathtub-like basin that lled with water to orm Mono Lake.

About 12,000 years ago, ollowing the peak o the last great ice advance, the Mono Basin lled and even overfowed or a short time. This Ice Age lakecovered 338 square miles and reached a depth o about 900 eet, ve times larger than the modern lake.

You can see evidence o Mono’s Ice Age glaciers in the morainal embankments at the mouths o Bloody Canyon and Lee Vining Canyon.The Mono Basin’s long history o volcanism is evident in the hills that mark the north and east boundaries o the basin—hills that date back some 11

million years. To the south lie the Mono Craters, the youngest mountain range in North America. Panum Crater, the northernmost o these craters, eruptedonly 650 years ago. Panum is easily reached rom Highway 120, three miles east o Highway 395.

Mono’s islands are also volcanic. Paoha Island is thought to be about 300 years old. Hot springs and steam vents in the basin show that volcanic activityis still present.

Black Point on the north shore o Mono Lake is the result o a volcanic eruption that began beneath the lake about 13,000 years ago. At that time thelake level was still rising toward its post Ice Age high point, but the lake was already some 400 eet deeper than it is today. As the top o Black Point cooledand contracted, narrow cracks or ssures ormed on the summit—some o them only a ew eet wide but as much as ty eet deep. Some o those ssurescan be explored today. Look or tua that ormed in the cracks when the top o Black Point was still under Mono Lake.

1941 Lake levelRain and snow

Tufa towers

Carbonatelake

water

Current lake level

Underground fresh water with calcium

old, can still be ound high above thecurrent lake, along Mono’s ancientshore.

Tua is ound in other alkalinebodies o water, but the variety andquantity o Mono’s towers are unique.

Tua is also ormed as reshwater springs percolate through briny lake-bottom sand. The “sand tuas” areintricate sand tubes and columnsexposed as winds strip away their sandy coverings. You can see sandtua ormations near the Navy Beachparking lot.

The best place to visit the tuatowers is at the spectacular South Tua

Area (see map).

Tufa

Salty lake water (carbonates) + reshwater springs(calcium) = Tua (calcium carbonate).

Mono Lake’s tua towers (pronounced

“tooah”) are spectacular examples o what naturecan do with a ew basic elements. These unusualspires and knobs are ormed when calcium-bearing reshwater springs happen to well upthrough alkaline lake water, which is rich incarbonates. The calcium and carbonate combine,precipitating out as limestone. Over many years, atower orms around the mouth o the spring. Thistua-orming reaction happens only in the lakeitsel. As the lake level drops and exposes thetua towers, they cease to grow.

The towers at South Tua are estimated tobe between 200 and 900 years old. Far older tuatowers, some o them as much as 13,000 years

Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve Park Brochure

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