Owens Lake

Owens Lake
Patsiata (Mono)
View of partially-filled Owens Lake (top-right) from Whitney Portal
Owens Lake is located in California
Owens Lake
Owens Lake
LocationSierra Nevada
Inyo County, California,
United States
Coordinates36°26′00″N 117°57′03″W / 36.4332°N 117.9509°W / 36.4332; -117.9509
TypeFlat
Primary inflowsOwens River
Natural springs and wells
Basin countriesUnited States
Max. length17.5 mi (28.2 km)
Max. width10 mi (16 km)
Max. depth3 ft (0.91 m)
Surface elevation3,556 ft (1,084 m)[1]
ReferencesGNIS feature ID 272820[1]
Image of the Owens Valley from the International Space Station – oriented top = true west

Owens Lake is a mostly dry lake in the Owens Valley on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada in Inyo County, California. It is about 5 miles (8.0 km) south of Lone Pine. Unlike most dry lakes in the Basin and Range Province that have been dry for thousands of years, Owens held significant water until 1913, when much of the Owens River was diverted into the Los Angeles Aqueduct, causing Owens Lake to desiccate by 1926.[2] In 2006, 5% of the water flow was restored. As of 2013, it is the largest single source of dust pollution in the United States.[3]

  1. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey (January 19, 1981). "Feature Detail Report: Owens Lake". Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). U.S. Department of the Interior. Retrieved March 26, 2009.
  2. ^ Reheis, Marith C. (April 11, 2006). Owens (Dry) Lake, California: A Human-Induced Dust Problem. Impacts of Climate Change and Land Use in the Southwestern United States (Report). U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved June 3, 2010.
  3. ^ Siegler, Kirk (March 11, 2013). "Owens Valley Salty as Los Angeles Water Battle Flows into Court". NPR.

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