New state team will try to save Walker Lake

The Walker River Basin Assessment Team appointed this week will hold its first formal meeting in September to address a wide variety of natural resource issues in the Walker Basin.

The primary purpose is to find the best way to protect and sustain the lake's unique ecosystem with minimal impact to upstream users, leaders said.

"Our state team is already meeting with the federal team and the Walker River Paiute Tribe to define and discuss issues central to getting more water to Walker Lake," said Saxton Sharpe, Walker River watershed planner for the state.

The state team was established under the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. It includes representatives from the divisions of Water Planning, Wildlife, Water Resources, Environmental Protection, State Lands and Natural Heritage.

It will seek input from anyone who has a stake in the Walker River system: federal and county governments, farmers, American Indians, conservation organizations and the general public.

"We've been working on this for several years, and we're ready to roll," said Naomi Duerr, state water planner and chairman of the team.

The broad membership reflects their desire to "integrate topics such as water quality, the agricultural, flood plain management, water rights and wildlife habitat from the very start," she said.

Since the turn of the century, droughts and upstream diversions for agriculture have caused the lake in Mineral County to drop more than 100 feet.

The decreased volume has adversely affected the Lahontan cutthroat trout and other plants and animals in the lake. During the recent drought, the lake became so saline it was within a year or two of losing its fishery.

A federal team, formed in May, is like the state team in that it is also exploring options for saving the lake.

However, federal team members will evaluate possible solutions and make recommendations to higher-ups in Washington, D.C., who will ultimately decide what role, if any, the federal government will take in resolving the lakes many problems.

The state team will ask the Nevada Legislature and other local governments for money to do projects that will not only get more water to the lake but also provide flood control along the river, improve water quality and restore river banks.

The state team also will work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which recently set aside $1 million to study the feasibility of carrying out projects in the basin that restore the ecosystem, increase the water supply and provide flood control. The Corps then will provide matching money and help build projects.

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