Owens Lake Project: 2017

 

Route 395 in California runs along the western edge of Owens Lake and at times, when the light is just right, there is a shimmering mirage of water stretching for miles.  There is, however, little water.

 

Owens lake was drained between 1913-1926 in order to supply water to Los Angeles, a burgeoning metropolis.  What was left in the wake of progress was a massive environmental disaster.  As the lake dried over the years, intense winds contributed to a heightened erosion which exposed toxic particulate matter.  With time, this matter lifted into the atmosphere.  

 

The lake has been artificially refilled, though it remains scarred by various erosion mitigation projects and the otherworldly colors of raw elements laid bare.  The best way to see the current state of the lake is from above.  For this project I shot between 1,000-4,000 feet above the surface in a 60's era Cessna.