Mono County, CA Noise Ordinances: Aircraft Noise (2026)

The Mono County Noise Regulation (Chapter 10.16) regulates ground-based sound sources and does not set decibel limits on aircraft in flight, because aircraft operations and noise emissions are preempted by federal law administered by the Federal Aviation Administration. Instead, Mono County manages aircraft noise through land-use compatibility. The county's General Plan Noise Element directs that new development within the airport planning boundaries comply with the Airport Land Use Compatibility Plans (ALUCPs) adopted for the county's three public-use airports: Bryant Field (Bridgeport), Lee Vining Airport, and Mammoth Yosemite Airport. Those plans set noise-compatibility zones based on the Community Noise Equivalent Level (CNEL) metric used in California, and they limit noise-sensitive uses such as housing near runways. The Noise Element also notes that the county enforces the Mono County Noise Ordinance (Chapter 10.16) for non-aircraft sources, while airport noise is addressed through the ALUCP framework. Residents experiencing routine flight or airport noise generally cannot rely on the county noise ordinance; complaints about aircraft are directed to the FAA or the individual airport. These land-use controls apply in the unincorporated communities of the Eastern Sierra and not within the Town of Mammoth Lakes, though Mammoth Yosemite Airport itself serves the region.