Mono Lake and the tufa towers (should be a Dr. Seuss book)

While we were inYosemite, we took one day to explore the area. Mono Lake looked really interesting it was a drive but thought it would be worth it. It was a nice drive through the northern part of Yosemite also.
Mono lake  is a large, shallow saline soda lake formed at least 760,000 years ago as a terminal lake in an endorheic basin. The lack of an outlet causes high levels of salts to accumulate in the lake. These salts also make the lake water alkaline.

This desert lake has an unusually productive ecosystem based on brine shrimp that thrive in its waters, and provides critical nesting habitat for two million annual migratory birds that feed on the shrimp and blackflies called  the alkali flies. (millions and millions)

When the city of Los Angeles diverted water from the lake, it lowered the lake level, which imperiled the migratory birds. The Mono Lake Committee formed in response and won a legal battle that forced Los Angeles to partially replenish the lake level. 

Call them weird, call them bizarre, call them what you will, but the unusual rock formations that grace Mono Lake's shores are known to geologists as tufa (too'-fah). Tufa forms in a variety of ways at Mono Lake, but the most visible and remarkable formations are the towers that grace Mono's shoreline. 
The greatest concentration of these towers Tufa is essentially common limestone. What is uncommon about this limestone is the way it forms. Typically, underwater springs rich in calcium (the stuff in your bones) mix with lakewater rich in carbonates (the stuff in baking soda). As the calcium comes in contact with carbonates in the lake, a chemical reaction occurs resulting in calcium carbonate--limestone. The calcium carbonate precipitates (settles out of solution as a solid) around the spring, and over the course of decades to centuries, a tufa tower will grow. Tufa towers grow exclusively underwater, and some grow to heights of over 30 feet. The reason visitors see so much tufa around Mono Lake today is because the lake level fell dramatically after water diversions began in 1941.

Hello Darling

What's cool is when we put our feet in the water you can feel a soft smooth layer on your feet also when you walk the spring water is on the bottom and when it mixes with the salt water it is like you are mixing oil and water you get the cloudy swirl look. 

 (Dr Seuss where are you)

These are the alkali flies, they don't bite just annoying, much like the lovebugs in Florida.