Lower Owens River valley

[ripcord]

I am very proud of California for taking the lead in our stewardship of the environment but I am also frustrated that the state ignores one of the worst environmental crimes in our history the theft of the Owens River. Where there was once a 108 square miles lake there is now a dust bowl that sends plumes of toxic dust blowing into the Sierra's, an entire eco system was destroyed. I know Los Angeles isn't going to be forced to give up the water we stole but I wish something could be done to mitigate the damage.

[SHRED]

1. I've been by there many times

I'm too young to have ever seen it before the devastation.
Any links to historic pics?

[struggle4progress]

4. Here:

http://www.owensvalleyhistory.com/ov_aqueduct1/ov_land_grab.html
http://bcktodust.com/history/
http://www.owensvalleyhistory.com/keeler/page71.html
http://www.owenslakeproject.com/

[csziggy]

5. Here is the best site I could find with historic photos

Though most seem to be of building the aqueduct, not of the lake before it was drained.

http://www.owensvalleyhistory.com/

Scroll down for their links to various groups of photos.

[ripcord]

2. Before and after

[hunter]

6. That's a picture of the Aral Sea.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aral_Sea

Same problem, however.

There are no high altitude or space photos of an overflowing, verdant Owens Lake. The lake had dried up by 1926.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owens_Lake

There are ongoing dust mitigation projects, visible in the above photo. Parts of the lake have been flooded, leaving a salty brine in places. In other parts they are attempting to establish salt grass.

[maxsolomon]

3. Get it line.

The Colorado. It doesn't even reach the Gulf of Cortez now.

The Hetch Hetchy valley. A 2nd Yosemite Valley, drowned.

The Columbia & Snake Rivers. Salmon runs destroyed for power & irrigation.

On and on.