Mono Basin

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Grebe Survey Summary

  • Max Adults: presumably ~500 to 1000
  • Year: 1940
  • Most Recent Adults: presumably ~500 to 1000
  • Year: 1940
  • Survey Type: N/A
  • Most Common Threats Reported: Lack of/poor nesting habitat
Lake name:
Mono Basin
Location:
California
Latitude:
37.963242
Longitude:
-118.943205
Basin type:
both
Management agency:
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP); U.S. Forest Service; Bureau of Land Management; Mono County
Region associations:
Mono Lake; Eastern Sierra Nevada
Comments:
Mono Lake was the location Ivey cites but D. Shuford believes it is Mono Basin in general because Mono Lake is historically and currently hypersaline and without fish nor vegetation. Coordinates are for Mono Basin which is adjacent to Mono Lake, one of the oldest lakes of North America. Water is diverted from Mono Lake tributaries in the basin via the Los Angeles Water Aqueduct system for use in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The basin is a large area that includes both natural lakes and reservoirs.

Surveys (1)

Survey Citation:
Ivey, G. L. 2004. Conservation assessment and management plan for breeding Western and Clark’s Grebes in California. Unpublished technical report. American Trader Trustee Council, California. . Accessed 15 January 2020.

  • Time period
    1940
  • Source
    Conservation Assessment, Management Plan
  • Both Western and Clarks?
    Y
Count Type Range Max Year
Max Adults 501 to 1000 presumably ~500 to 1000 1940
Most Recent Adults 501 to 1000 presumably ~500 to 1000 1940
Max Nests 101 to 500 ~500 1940
Most Recent Nests 101 to 500 ~500 1940
Max Chicks N/A N/A N/A
Most Recent Chicks N/A N/A N/A

Comments:

This entry to capture historical record of breeding grebes in CA prior to 2002. There were ~500 nests in 1940 (Dixon 1940). Historically there was a marsh but diverting water made it saline. Feedback from D. Shuford to paraphrase: "Mono is hypersaline and hence lacks any fish and also has no vegetation in the lake for building or attaching nests. It has gotten more saline over time because of water diversions to its inflowing streams, but, regardless, I don’t believe there have ever been fish in Mono Lake in historical times. Perhaps a report of nesting from “Mono Lake” refers to some other site nearby in Mono County? Consultation with Greg Reis and Rene Corado of WFVZ and Rene says Dixon’s egg collecting notes from June 1938, 1939 and 1940, we only have notes on eggs he collected, he doesn’t mention any western grebes (probably because he didn’t collected eggs). With deleting Mono Lake as a breeding site I’m assuming you are retaining the Mono Basin."

Sources of Information