In the US, Mono Lake is sadly known for it has been providing the city of Los Angeles (550 km away) with fresh water, which in turn caused serious environmental and health problems to people all over the Mono Lake basin. The lake's level has been going down for years because the water is pumped out from the rivers just before they get into the lake, and the uncovered soil is carried away by strong local winds. Respiratory issues dramatically increased among people living around the lake. As for the lake itself, its water is naturally salty, but the salinity has increased and the whole ecosystem is affected by these abrupt changes.

I went to Mono Lake Basin to work on the greater sage grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), for the US Geological Survey. The species is declining throughout its range. The Mono Lake population is affected by habitat loss and fragmentation, hunting and repetitive disturbances during the mating and breeding seasons, new diseases (avian malaria) and a significant increase in nest predation.