Valentine Eastern Sierra Reserve

Valentine Eastern Sierra Reserve (VESR) consists of two sites, the Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory (SNARL) and Valentine Camp, both located in Inyo County in the eastern Sierra Nevada. Valentine Camp, which is surrounded by the town of Mammoth Lakes, became part of the NRS in 1972 after serving for many years as a private retreat; SNARL joined the NRS one year later, after a long history of grazing, water development, and scientific research. From the 1930s to the 1970s, SNARL was known the Convict Creek Experiment Station--a joint research venture of the US Forest Service (USFS) and US Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife (now the US Fish and Wildlife Service). During the 1980s, SNARL played an important role in the effort to save Mono Lake by diverting less runoff from Lee Vining Creek toward the LA Aqueduct. The University of California leases the SNARL site from its longtime owner, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP).