More than 60 people attended a multi-media presentation on Thursday in Reno about Walker Lake’s fisheries history that highlighted the path to restore it back to a vibrant recreation area after rapid consumption of Walker River Basin water led to the collapse of fishery.
Retired Nevada Department of Wildlife fisheries biologist Mike Sevon presented The Fisheries History of Walker Lake - Past, Present and Future! at Bartley Ranch Regional Park at an event sponsored by the Walker Lake Working Group (WLWG) with support from the Mono Lake Committee.
Sevon compiled data from geologic evidence, historical records as well as experience from his nearly 30 years’ work as a Nevada Department of Wildlife biologist and regional fisheries supervisor. It was Sevon’s work at Walker Lake and nearby community interactions that precipitated the WLWG’s formation in 1991.
Sevon outlined multiple fish species that have all been extirpated from the lake because of falling lake levels that have caused salinity levels to rise to a level that is toxic to freshwater fish.
Introduced carp and Sacramento perch thrived at Walker Lake for recreational and commercial fishing but were unable to survive there past the mid-1900s.
Native Lahontan cutthroat trout (LCT), the largest North American trout, were a staple for the indigenous people who inhabited the area prior to white settlement. When irrigation farming began in the mid-1800s, Walker Lake levels declined as farming in the basin expanded. Historical records show a direct correlation between the shirking lake and the size and availability of LCT at Walker Lake. After multiple dams were built on the river, LCT were no longer able to spawn upstream. Recreational fishing at Walker Lake was then dependent on fish raised and stocked by state and federal agencies.
“Some of the things we (wildlife agencies) did made it a lot better for the fishery,” Sevon said of efforts to extend stocking as long as possible. These included barge planting, bioassays to determine the best strain to plant and preacclimation with Walker Lake water prior to planting.
Lake level decline brought the end of native Tahoe Sucker at Walker Lake in the early 1990s. In the first decade of the 21st century, neither LCT nor the lake’s native cornerstone species the tui chub were able to survive the briny waters, leaving the lake void of all fish.
“Losing Walker Lake in our time is wrong!” Savon said.
Loss of the fishery led to the loss of habitat for fish-eating birds like the common loon that relied on Walker Lake to rest and refuel on its way to and from Canadian nesting grounds.
Since then, with the help of former Sen. Harry Reid and $500 million in congressional appropriations, the Walker Basin Conservancy (WBC) was formed to purchase water from willing sellers for the benefit of the lake. Over the last 10 years, WBC has acquired 56 percent of the water needed to restore a stocked game fishery at Walker Lake. At this rate of refill, it could take several more decades to get water quality back to a level that native fish can survive. However, several more wet winters like 2022-2023 could augment water purchases enough to begin fish restocking.
While “just add water” seems like a simple solution to bring anglers, birdwatchers and boaters back to Walker Lake, WLWG is still scrambling behind the scenes to ensure that dedicated water rights for Walker Lake are ratified by the U.S. District Court that governs water distribution in the Walker River Basin. After 30 years of legal wrangling with upstream interests, WLWG and Mineral County’s public trust doctrine case is being heard anew in District Court, where the case is in the discovery phase.
“The public trust doctrine … is the notation that the government should take care of things that are common to the people,” Sevon said. “It’s a responsibility.
“The public trust doctrine was used to save Mono Lake,” Sevon continued. “It should apply for Walker Lake.”
More resources are needed to fund the public trust doctrine work to secure a permanent solution for Walker Lake.
If you missed this opportunity to hear Mike Sevon’s history as well as sing the “Walker Lake Blues” and play harmonica, he will be presenting again the Truckee River Flyfishers monthly meeting on April 17 at 6:30 p.m. at the Regional Nevada Department of Wildlife office at 1100 Valley Road, Reno. For more information. call Sevon at 775-857-9814.
For more information about Walker Lake Working Group call 775-945-2289