Owens Lake, located in eastern California’s Owens Valley, has undergone a remarkable transformation from a once dust-prone landscape to one of the largest and most successful air quality restoration projects in the world. Once an area that generated severe dust (PM10) pollution and health risks for surrounding communities, Owens Lake is now a model for environmental recovery and sustainable management.
Lake desiccation has been happening for thousands of years; it’s not a new phenomenon. What’s new is the rate at which lakes are drying. For example, Lake Lahontan in the western United States dried over the course of 3,000 to 4,000 years due to natural climate change—but Lake Albert in eastern Oregon has shrunk dramatically over just two decades.
Air Sciences and its partners have worked with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power on mitigating dust in the Owens Valley of California for decades. The work of these experts is now being published in Aeolian Research as part of a larger investigation into the modern destabilization and migration of the Keeler Dunes Complex – a small shoreline dune system in the northeast corner of Owens (dry) Lake.
2020 has presented Air Sciences with many opportunities for retooling. As a small business, we quickly enacted a work-from-home policy with some routines to keep everyone healthy but also balanced. Daily facetime through all-company meetings and even some virtual happy hours have kept our close-knit teams connected and thriving. The small blessings of this newfound flexibility (and home-cooked lunches) are quickly displaced, however, by the anxiety we all feel around the ongoing turmoil in economic and public health arenas.
Dust from wind traveling across open land areas is a common phenomenon on all continents of the world. Whether a tilled field or a geographic feature like a dry lakebed, these areas can emit dust that impacts public respiratory health. Knowing the potential for adverse health effects is difficult to quantify. Varying surface conditions, weather, and rates of emission are inherent to this challenge. Read more