Owens Lake is the third largest trona deposit in the USA. 100 years ago the Owens River, that flowed into the Owens Lake, was diverted to deliver the water to Los Angeles, the lake quickly dried up and became one of the biggest environmental disasters in the USA. The lake is currently a large salt flat whose surface is made of a mixture of clay, sand, and a variety of minerals. Inyo County, California,.© march. 6 2008 Marco van Middelkoop/Aerophoto-Schiphol