Keeler

Keeler is the only existing settlement on the east side of Owens Lake. Through the 19th and early 20th century, the town was a landing for boats crossing the lake, a terminus for the area's narrow gauge railroad, and a center for mineral processing, and at one point had a population of 7,000 residents. Today, however, there are only 100 souls in Keeler, among whom live some of the region's more colorful characters, who live in overgrown houses, covered in Owens Lake dust. Just south of town, on Highway 136, the DWP has developed a staging area for the dust reduction programs on the lake.