| Owens Lake, California, is a hydrologically closed basin in southern Owens Valley. Diversion of water out of the basin has resulted in lake dessication and salt crust formation on the exposed lake bed. Salt crusts are most extensive along the southeastern to west lake bed due to small volumes of runoff from the Coso Mountains and diversion of Sierra Nevada runoff. Lesser amounts of salt crust along the northern lake bed are due to large volumes of runoff from Inyo Mountains and coarse grained, shallow sediments inhibiting capillary action from the groundwater. Calcite precipitation controls trends in water chemistry, leading to sodium and bicarbonate dominated waters. Evaporation of inflow should lead to halite and trona precipitation. Extensive aquifers are at least 450 feet deep. Estimated mean annual flow into Owens Lake basin is approximately 169,000 acre-feet with a range of 185,000 to 154,000 acre-feet. |
