At the time of the gold rush, there was still a huge lake in this valley: Owens Lake. Ore from the nearby mining town of Cerro Gordo was transported to Keeler via this lake.
However, when the water from the lake was diverted into the Los Angeles Aquaduct, the lake dried up completely. Gradually, however, the valley is being irrigated again, as the complete draining caused too much dust in the area.