Los Angeles gets 2% of its water supply from creeks that feed Mono Lake. Environmental advocates are calling for the city to take less water to help the lake reach a healthy level.

A landmark 1994 decision by state water regulators limited L.A.’s water diversions and set a target for raising the lake’s level. But 31 years later, that requirement has not been met.

LEE VINING, Calif. — The picturesque tufa towers on the shores of Mono Lake, formed over centuries by underwater springs and left high and dry as Los Angeles diverted water from nearby creeks, have long been a symbol of the saline lake. Visitors who stroll beside the lapping water take photos of the craggy calcium carbonate formations as flocks of migratory birds soar overhead.

But residents, local officials and environmental

See Full Page