Mono Lake lies in an endorheic basin, which means it has no natural outlet. The Sierra mountain run-off has kept this lake filled for at least 760,000 years and the dissolved salts raise the water’s pH levels to be highly alkaline. Depending on the water level, Mono Lake can be two to three times as salty as the ocean. No fish live in the lake, but there is a thriving abundance of brine shrimp and alkali flies that survive in the unusual ecosystem.
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