Ecological restoration of Owens Lake -- known to many for its role in California's stormy struggles over water rights -- has begun to be mapped out by international experts who recently gathered at UC Davis. They discussed issues as diverse as air quality, environmental law, sand dunes, geophysical chemistry, and more. Once a popular vacation area known for its steamboats, Owens Lake was drained dry earlier this century. Runoff and groundwater from the area continue to provide an important source of water to Los Angeles. Some of the worst small-particulate air pollution in the Western Hemisphere occurs just downwind of the artificially dessicated lake in the eastern Sierra. A multidisciplinary team of UC Davis scientists formed the Owens Lake Task Force to work with the state on solving the air pollution problem. The remediation project is expected to take about 10 years, and cost estimates have ranged up to $100 million. The inaugural task force meeting at UC Davis was held in cooperation with several state agencies, including the state Lands Commission, the state Attorney General's Office and the Air Resources Board, as well as the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.