CALIFORNIA IN BRIEF : EL DORADO COUNTY : Judge Extends Ban on Mono Lake Use

A court order that stopped Los Angeles from diverting any more Mono Lake water this year was extended to March. El Dorado County Superior Court Judge Terrence Finney also ordered the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to release water down Lee Vining and Rush creeks, two streams that fed the shrinking saline lake year-round until the city began its diversions. The preliminary injunction may be extended further if Mono Lake’s surface elevation falls below 6,377 feet above sea level, the minimum thought necessary to ensure that marine and bird life thrive.