The Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District is responsible for enforcing federal, state, and local air quality regulations and for ensuring that air quality standards are met in the Owens Valley. Since 2001, the City of Los Angeles has implemented dust controls on 45 square miles of lake bed using control measures that can reduce dust emissions by more than 99%.
The District developed a test to remotely visit areas using a Draganflyer to monitor activities and thereby also monitor whether surfaces of the lake bed were changing or becoming emissive.