Owens Lake Dust Pollution Reduced by 99.4% After Decades of Mitigation
Owens Lake, located in Inyo County, California, became the largest source of PM10 particulate pollution in the U.S. after Los Angeles diverted its water supply in 1913. The lake, once spanning 110 square miles, dried up by 1926, exposing an alkali playa that emitted harmful dust containing arsenic and other toxic elements. In 1998, Los Angeles was legally mandated to implement dust control measures, including shallow flooding, vegetation management, and gravel cover. By 2023, these efforts reduced dust emissions from 62,377 tons in 2000 to just 355 tons annually, marking a 99.4% decrease. The site has also become a critical habitat for over 100,000 shorebirds annually, despite its primary purpose as a dust suppression system (source: WorldAtlas, 2026-08-16). 
