You may not care about the fate of Mono Lake and its unique ecological system.

But you should.

It’s because the myopic water doctrine Los Angeles has been relentlessly pursuing so it could sustain its growth and wealth for well over a century  will lay waste to Mono Lake if they are not stopped.

Why care about a lake that’s a 160-mile drive from Manteca via Highway 120 when Tioga Pass isn’t closed by winter snow?

The Save the Mono Lake Committee can rattle off a lot of reasons.

*The desert lake has an extremely unique ecosystem based brine shrimp that thrive in its salty waters.

*The lake provides critical habitat for two million annual migratory birds that feed on the shrimp and alkali flies.

*Some 25 percent of the global population of California seagulls nest in an island in the middle of the lake that protects them from predators.

*It is believed to be the oldest prehistoric lake in North America dating back 760,000 years ago.

*Thanks to the “stewardship” of Los Angeles, between 1941 and 1991 lost half its volume, dropped 45 vertical feet and doubled its salinity. It was well on the way to suffering the same fate as Owens Lake which LA virtually wiped off the face of the earth in less than 60 years.

*The unrestricted diversion of water out of the Mono Lake Basin was also endangering entire streams and creeks threatening rare woodlands, migratory and nesting birds, and stream habitat.

*The 1994 State Water Board order — spurred by lawsuits — that Los Angeles agreed to do in a bid to undo much of the damage they inflicted on Mono Lake before it would have been reduced to a mere puddle at best with its dry basin spurring sandstorms that were so large that interfered with commercial jetliner traffic and created serious health problems for 40,000 plus people in  the Southern Owens Valley.

Those are a lot of good reasons but maybe they still mean nothing  to you.

OK, then what about a selfish reason?

The principals of water use and complete disregard for pacts they enter into and running roughshod over extremely critical environmental concerns is a core part of the DNA of Los Angeles’ Zombie-like drive to get a Delta conveyance in place.

The latest version, of course, is in the form of a massive tunnel.

Rest assured should LA succeed in squeezing Mono Lake of water critical for the lake to survive they will have an easier job of using the same doctrine to damage the Delta for three purposes:

*So Southern California will not have to stop  growth so they can add more water users to their basin that clearly can’t support it.

*Avoiding altering the environment in their own backyard with desalination plants that would block $10 million views and circulate saltier water back into the ocean near plant outlets that will engender ecological systems.

 *Give the cheapest water possible regardless of the environmental price and water costs others elsewhere will incur.

The Delta Tunnel is more of the same of what happened to the Owens Valley and what LA wants to do to Mono Lake. But in reality, even though it may not strip the landscape bare, it will include even more widespread ecological damage than LA’s never ending thirst for water foisted on the Owens Valley and is in the process of doing to the Mono Basin.

 San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Merced counties would also be collateral damage of a Delta Tunnel.

That’s because Sacramento River flows not passing through much of the Delta before its diverted into the California Aqueduct will expose the ecological system to massive salt water intrusion threatening fish and plants alike.

There are minimal fresh water fish flows in place imposed by courts and the state. In order to avoid ecological Armageddon, there would need to be more fresh water sent into the Delta when water is diverted into the tunnel. The only place that can come from are the Merced, Tuolumne, and Stanislaus river watersheds that the Northern  San Joaquin Valley is dependent on.

Environmental assurances Los Angeles in 1994 agreed would be phased in over 20 years did not happen.

Diversions — even in times of abundant water — were not enough to meet the 2014 goal of Mono Lake with an elevation of 6,382 feet.

Instead of rising 17 feet even with an additional seven years allowed beyond the two decades Los Angeles Water and Power agreed to, the lake is 11 vertical feet short of its goal and is less than  40 percent of the way to the water volume agreed upon. The lake is currently at 6,379.3 vertical feet.

Los Angeles is fighting efforts to make them follow through on their deal.

Here is where the fun part starts.

In a prepared statement, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power states, "Los Angeles residents, and every Californian, have a human right to safe, clean, affordable and accessible water. The water from the Los Angeles Aqueduct is the city’s most cost-effective water supply and is the backbone of the city’s water system."

Hosing down Marina del Rey driveways comes at the sacrifice of water flowing from Manteca faucets. Keeping Beverly Hills estate laws lush comes at the expense of almond trees in Turlock.

Freely translated the LA Department of Water and Power is saying “all Californians are created equal when  it comes to water but some more so than others.”

LA has repeatedly said that they will only take water that they are entitled to as covered by contractual water rights.

That’s not the issue. The issue is when they continue to take that water when there is a drought or other emergency is underway.

The writing is on the wall. LA — with the tunnel in place — will be kept whole in future droughts. Meanwhile the Northern San Joaquin Valley and  he Delta will suffer so LA can keep growing and using water nature intended for use in other basins.

And like most flimflam men, LA constantly changes its sales pitch to reflect what’s hot at the moment.

The LA Department of Water in pointing out Mono Basin water is “essential to serving up to 200,000 of its 4 million ratepayers” can’t resist adding the woke caveat “about half of them (are) living in disadvantaged communities.”

If they want to play that game, when it comes to the highest concentration of disadvantaged communities in California it is no contest. The San Joaquin Valley leads the pack.

On one hand when it comes to overturing a State Water Board order from 1994 LA embraces the fact it will impact disadvantaged communities within their jurisdiction.

But when it comes to a bigger onslaught of economic pain and misery that the Delta Tunnel will inflict on disadvantaged communities in the San Joaquin Valley there is not even a peep about that from LA.

Bottom line: If LA succeeds in breaking another water pact in the Mono Lake Basin, they can be trusted to do the same with the Delta.

LA can’t help themselves which is  why they need to destroy ecological systems and economies hundreds of miles away from the banks of  the Los Angeles River that — thanks to environmental stewardship LA-style — has been no more than a concrete lined ditch for decades teeming with “wildlife” as witnessed in chase scenes from Hollywood action movies.

This column is the opinion of editor, Dennis Wyatt, and does not necessarily represent the opinions of The Bulletin or 209 Multimedia. He can be reached at dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com