Lone Pine, CA - Part 2 - September 20-27, 2021

 The Owens Valley near Lone Pine was once much greener than it is today.  The Owens River had a much heavier flow and its terminus, Owens Lake, was huge.  The lake was so large that steamships were used to transport mining products, such as dolomite and silver ingots, across to the railroad for further shipment.  Then the Los Angeles Water Department, through various agents, began buying up land with streams without revealing the real buyer or ultimate purpose.  They eventually owned most of the water along the Eastern Sierra and began sending the water to LA via an open aquaduct system to help supply the rapidly growing population.  Owens Lake soon became Owens Dry Lake.

Today, LA allows a small amount of water to reach the lake bed to reduce the dust that would otherwise be released.  I'm not sure if this is the result of environmental concern or a court order.  At any rate, there are numerous dykes creating small areas of shallow water and migrating shore birds take advantage of it.  I spent several hours there trying to capture a variety of species.  Unfortunately, I was unable to get close enough for really good photos, but you will see the best I could do under the circumstances.

Wilson's Phalarope

Long-billed Curlew

American Avocet

Horned Lark

Least Sandpiper

Stilt Sandpiper

Semipalpated Sandpiper

Red-necked Phalarope

Lesser Yellowlegs

Killdeer

Sandpiper Convention

On the eastern side of Owens Lake, the Inyo Mountains were the home of significant mining operations in the 19th and 20th centuries, primarily silver, lead and dolomite.  Today, the salt flats of the lake are mined for borax, salt and soda ash.  The ghost town of Cerro Gordo is now owned by a man who intends to restore it somewhat as a tourist attraction.  The town of Keeler once thrived as the port for shipping on the lake.  Today it is practically a ghost town, with only about 65 stubborn residents who don't particularly welcome visitors.

On the western side of the lake, I visited the historic charcoal kilns used to supply the smelting operations back in the day.

A brightly colored inn, called the Lemon House Inn, caught my eye.

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Just off US 395, Diaz Lake is a popular recreation area, with camping, fishing and boating.  The lake was created by an earthquake in 1872, when the ground on one side of the fault dropped about twenty feet.

While driving back roads in the desert, I came upon a first for me.  It was a large pen where dozens of ring-necked pheasants are raised, obviously to be released for hunting by members of the club.  It makes me sad to see such an activity, but I suppose it's much like raising cattle, hogs or chickens.