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Description
Edited from from Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mono_Lak…

Mono Lake (MOH-noh) is a large, shallow saline soda lake in Mono County, California, formed at least 760,000 years ago as a terminal lake in a basin with no outlet. The lack of an outlet causes high levels of salts to accumulate in the lake. These salts make the lake water alkaline.

This desert lake has an unusually productive ecosystem based on brine shrimp that thrive in its waters, and provides critical nesting habitat for two million annual migratory birds that feed on the shrimp and Alkali flies, Ephydra hians, that live along the shores of the lake and walk underwater, encased in small air bubbles for grazing and to lay eggs. These flies are an important source of food for migratory and nesting birds. (that also feed on the shrimp). Historically, the native Kutzadika'a people derived nutrition from the fly pupae.

When the City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power diverted water from the freshwater streams flowing into the lake in 1941, it lowered the lake level, which imperiled the migratory birds. The Mono Lake Committee formed in 1978 response and won legal battles in 1983 and 1994 that forced Los Angeles to partially replenish the lake level. The legal settlement required the LADWP to restore enough water to the lake to stabilize it at an elevation 5 feet below the 1941 level.

The Mono Lake tufa towers were deposited from saline groundwater springs seeping into Mono Lake when the lake level was higher.

Description
Edited from from Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mono_Lak…

Mono Lake (MOH-noh) is a large, shallow saline soda lake in Mono County, California, formed at least 760,000 years ago as a terminal lake in a basin with no outlet. The lack of an outlet causes high levels of salts to accumulate in the lake. These salts make the lake water alkaline.

This desert lake has an unusually productive ecosystem based on brine shrimp that thrive in its waters, and provides critical nesting habitat for two million annual migratory birds that feed on the shrimp and Alkali flies, Ephydra hians, that live along the shores of the lake and walk underwater, encased in small air bubbles for grazing and to lay eggs. These flies are an important source of food for migratory and nesting birds. (that also feed on the shrimp). Historically, the native Kutzadika'a people derived nutrition from the fly pupae.

When the City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power diverted water from the freshwater streams flowing into the lake in 1941, it lowered the lake level, which imperiled the migratory birds. The Mono Lake Committee formed in 1978 response and won legal battles in 1983 and 1994 that forced Los Angeles to partially replenish the lake level. The legal settlement required the LADWP to restore enough water to the lake to stabilize it at an elevation 5 feet below the 1941 level.

The Mono Lake tufa towers were deposited from saline groundwater springs seeping into Mono Lake when the lake level was higher.