Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation
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PYRAMID LAKE INDIAN RESERVATION Comprehensive Resource Management Plan Washoe County, Nevada Prepared by the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service September 2005 NRCS Nevada State Office 1365 Corporate Blvd. Reno, NV. 89502 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. i Table of Contents Table of Contents_______________________________________________________________ i List of Figures _________________________________________________________________ v List of Tables _________________________________________________________________ vii Statement of Purpose____________________________________________________________ 1 Introduction ___________________________________________________________________ 2 Resource Management Objectives _________________________________________________ 3 Description of Planning Area _____________________________________________________ 4 Location __________________________________________________________________________ 4 Watersheds of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Reservation _____________________________________ 5 Watershed-Wide Resource Concerns__________________________________________________________ 7 Invasive and Noxious Weeds _____________________________________________________________ 8 Related Inventories, Studies, and Documents ___________________________________________________ 9 Physiographic Features _____________________________________________________________ 10 Physiography ___________________________________________________________________________ 10 Climate ________________________________________________________________________________ 12 Conservation Resource Areas (CRAs)________________________________________________________ 16 Soils __________________________________________________________________________________ 18 Geology _______________________________________________________________________________ 21 Air ___________________________________________________________________________________ 22 Land Use ______________________________________________________________________________ 24 Related Inventories, Studies, and Documents __________________________________________________ 24 Social and Cultural Background _____________________________________________________ 28 Tribal Government and Demographics _______________________________________________________ 28 Cultural Considerations ___________________________________________________________________ 29 Summary of Resource Concerns:____________________________________________________________ 31 Resource Opportunities ___________________________________________________________________ 31 Related Inventories, Studies, and Documents:__________________________________________________ 31 Planning Regions _____________________________________________________________ 32 Overview _________________________________________________________________________ 32 Residential Regions: Wadsworth, Nixon and Sutcliffe ________________________________ 33 Wadsworth _______________________________________________________________________ 34 Summary of Resource Concerns ____________________________________________________________ 36 Recommended Conservation Practices _______________________________________________________ 36 Resource Opportunities ___________________________________________________________________ 37 Related Inventories, Studies, and Documents:__________________________________________________ 37 Nixon ____________________________________________________________________________ 38 Summary of Resource Concerns:____________________________________________________________ 40 Recommended Conservation Practices _______________________________________________________ 40 Resource Opportunities ___________________________________________________________________ 40 Related Inventories, Studies, and Documents:__________________________________________________ 41 Sutcliffe __________________________________________________________________________ 42 Summary of Resource Concerns ____________________________________________________________ 44 ii Recommended Conservation Practices _______________________________________________________ 44 Resource Opportunities ___________________________________________________________________ 44 Related Inventories, Studies, and Documents:__________________________________________________ 45 Truckee River Region __________________________________________________________ 46 Background ______________________________________________________________________ 46 Dams and Diversions _______________________________________________________________ 48 Riparian Ecosystem ________________________________________________________________ 50 Geomorphology _________________________________________________________________________ 50 Vegetation _____________________________________________________________________________ 50 Proper Functioning Condition____________________________________________________________ 53 Water _________________________________________________________________________________ 55 Wetlands_______________________________________________________________________________ 55 Summary of Resource Concerns ____________________________________________________________ 57 Recommended Conservation Practices _______________________________________________________ 58 Resource Opportunities ___________________________________________________________________ 58 Related Inventories, Studies, and Documents:__________________________________________________ 59 Wildlife and Riparian Wildlife Habitat ________________________________________________ 61 Birds__________________________________________________________________________________ 61 Amphibians ____________________________________________________________________________ 63 Fish___________________________________________________________________________________ 63 Reptiles________________________________________________________________________________ 64 Summary of Resource Concerns ____________________________________________________________ 64 Recommended Conservation Practices _______________________________________________________ 65 Resource Opportunities ___________________________________________________________________ 65 Related Inventories, Studies, and Documents:__________________________________________________ 66 Irrigated Land ____________________________________________________________________ 68 Summary of Resource Concerns ____________________________________________________________ 71 Recommended Conservation Practices _______________________________________________________ 71 Resource Opportunities ___________________________________________________________________ 72 Related Inventories, Studies, and Documents:__________________________________________________ 72 Pyramid Lake Region __________________________________________________________ 73 Fisheries _________________________________________________________________________ 75 Pyramid Lake Fish Habitat_________________________________________________________________ 75 Pyramid Lake Fish Population ______________________________________________________________ 76 Truckee River Fish Habitat ________________________________________________________________ 77 Water Quality and Quantity ________________________________________________________________ 77 Wildlife __________________________________________________________________________ 77 Anaho Island ___________________________________________________________________________ 78 Recreation________________________________________________________________________ 79 Cultural Importance _______________________________________________________________ 79 Other Environmental Concerns ______________________________________________________ 80 Department of Defense Activities ___________________________________________________________ 80 Torpedo and Bombing Range Munitions Clean Up ___________________________________________ 81 Sierra Army Depot ____________________________________________________________________ 82 Fallon Naval Air Station ________________________________________________________________ 82 Guanomi Mine __________________________________________________________________________ 83 Summary of Resource Concerns______________________________________________________ 83 Recommended Conservation Practices ________________________________________________ 83 iii Resource Opportunities_____________________________________________________________ 84 Related Inventories, Studies, and Documents: __________________________________________ 84 Range and