Pyramid Lake and its surrounding environment have supported human cultures in this desert land for at least the last 4,000 years (D'Azevedo 1986). Because of arid conditions, the Desert Culture which developed around the lake utilized a great variety of plants and animals. However, the fishery of Pyramid Lake was of central importance (Knack and Stewart 1984). The migration of the Northern Paiute tribes into the region probably occurred around 1400, although the actual date is uncertain (D'Azevedo 1986). In this paper, we tell the story of the Pyramid Lake Paiute tribe and its struggle to reclaim, preserve, and manage its natural resources over the past century. It is a story of a people who have fought to preserve the riches of Pyramid Lake amidst conflicting ideas of how land should be used today and tomorrow (Knack and Stewart 1984).

The Northern Paiute tribe that settled along the shoreline of Pyramid Lake has lived as one with the lake. They are called the Kuyuidokado, which translates to cui-ui eaters. The tribal name for the lake, Ku-ui pah nu nah or cui-ui pond, further defines this relationship. So, what is a cui-ui? The cui-ui is a fish species of the genus Chasmistes that is endemic to Pyramid Lake (see Figure 1). It is one of the three central components (the cui-ui, the people, and the lake) that give name and identity to the Pyramid Lake Paiute tribe (Ely 1992). Clearly, the cui-ui is central to the identity of the Paiute people. The tribe lost control over the lake and its fishery resource during this last century, and a battle has been fought to regain it. This is the story of that battle.

The first non-Indian to visit the lake was John Fremont in 1844, who observed a rock structure that resembled a pyramid and thereby coined its Anglo name, Pyramid Lake. The explorer was quite impressed with the setting of the lake which he described as "like a gem in the mountains." Fremont was also impressed by the trout that he found in the lake, the Lahontan cutthroat trout, which were over four feet long. These giant trout subsequently impressed many avid fisherman, and Pyramid Lake attracted worldwide fame as a sport fishery. More important to our story, the trout and the cui-ui were major resources on which the tribe depended. Both fish stocks and the water on which they depended have been at the center of conflicts for the past 150 years.

The only permanent surface inflow to Pyramid Lake is the Truckee River, which is the outflow from ultraoligotrophic Lake Tahoe in the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains of California and Nevada (Figure 2). Because Pyramid Lake is located in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the region is extremely arid and receives an average precipitation of only 19 cm/yr (7.5 in/yr) (Lebo et al. 1993a). Consequently, the lake depends almost entirely on inflow from the Truckee River to balance the large amount of water lost from the lake's surface through evaporation (Brown et al. 1986; Galat 1990).

Pyramid Lake's reliance on waters supplied from the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains has placed it in fierce competition with a myriad of water users in the region. Because of the scarcity of water resources in western Nevada, the flow of the Truckee River is heavily utilized. In route from Lake Tahoe, the Truckee River is dominated by dams, pipes, flumes, and diversions (Br own et al. 1986), with approximately 70 percent of total flow passing through reservoirs (Milne 1987).

The extensive use of the Truckee River by man has profoundly affected the quantity and quality of waters reaching Pyramid Lake. The Nevada portion of the river is dominated by water diversions for power generation, irrigation, and municipal, domestic, and industrial water supply (Brown et al. 1986). It also receives return flows from agricultural drainage and treated municipal effluent from Reno-Sparks that contribute to salt and nutrient loads (Brock 1991; Kennedy/Jenks and CH2M Hill 1991; Reuter and Goldman 1993). An assessment of nutrient loading to the Truckee downstream of Reno-Sparks determined that both direct discharge and nonpoint sources of nutrients contribute to overall nutrient loads (Brock 1991). In addition, high summer water temperatures, due to periods of low flow, have been identified as a major factor limiting the utilization of the lower Truckee River by the cold water fish population (Kennedy/Jenks and CH2M Hill 1991).

The aquatic biota of Pyramid Lake have been characterized through ecological studies which have been conducted on the lake over the past three decades (La Rivers 1962; Sigler and Kennedy 1978). We provide here only a brief description of the natural resources of the lake. However, the focus of this paper is on how conflicting interests in the region have affected fish stocks and water quality. Two fish species on which this story centers are cui-ui and Lahontan cutthroat trout. As previously mentioned, the cui-ui is a lake sucker found only in Pyramid Lake. It is a member of the ancient genus Chasmistes, which dates back 16 million years but consists of only two species at the present time. Both the trout and cui-ui are obligate stream spawners and rely on access to the Truckee River for reproduction. Historically, the trout utilized the entire Truckee River watershed for its reproductive needs, while the cui-ui limited its migration to the lower reaches of the river. In addition to these two fish species, the lake fish assemblage contains tui chubs, Tahoe sucker, and Sacramento Perch, as well as benthic invertebrates which are an important food source for both the trout and cui-ui (Sigler and Kennedy 1978). Pyramid Lake is a highly alkaline (1400 mg-HCO3-l, pH = 9.1-9.3) and somewhat saline desert lake, with a total dissolved solids (TDS) concentration of 5300 mg/l. The predominant ions comprising TDS in the lake are Na+, Cl-, and HCO3-CO32- (Sigler and Kennedy 1978). The waters of Pyramid Lake are always supersaturated with respect to the aragonite form of CaCO3, and precipitation of CaCO3 around surface springs is common (Sigler and Kennedy 1978; Galat and Jacobsen 1985). In fact, the alkaline environment of the lake has created geological treasures throughout the Pyramid Lake basin in the form of tufa spires and domes from precipitated CaCO3 (see Figure 3). The world's largest and most abundant tufa formations are found in this basin.

As a desert lake, Pyramid is phosphorus rich but deficient in nitrogen (Hutchinson 1937; Galat et al. 1981; Reuter et al. 1993; Lebo et al. 1994a). It is a warm, monomictic lake, although temporary meromixis can occur during periods of high Truckee River inflow due to salinity stratification of the water column. Typically, the water column of the lake is well-mixed during winter (December-February) and thermally stratified at 20-25 m (65-80 ft) between June and October (Lebo et al. 1992). When compared with other saline lakes, Pyramid is oligotrophic with chlorophyll a concentrations typically <3 mg/l (Galat et al. 1981; Lebo et al.1992).

The decision by the federal government to create the Newland's Project decimated the fish stocks in Pyramid Lake. Between 1918 and 1970, the average net diversion from the Truckee River to the Newland's Project was approximately 250,000 acre-feet/yr, which is nearly 50 percent of total flow for that period (USFWS 1992). This loss of a large fraction of total inflow to Pyramid Lake caused the water level to drop by 78 feet between 1905 and 1967 (Figure 5). Although lake levels recovered somewhat during the 1970s and 1980s as a result of two very wet periods, it currently remains 65 feet below the level reported in 1905 (U.S. Geological Survey, Carson City, Nevada). Derby Dam not only greatly reduced inflow to Pyramid Lake during the 1900s,it also deprived trout access to their upstream spawning grounds in the higher reaches of the Truckee River basin. Further, the rapid decline in lake level exposed a delta at the south end of Pyramid Lake which completely blocked the spawning migration of both cui-ui and trout to the river. Thus, the diversion of water from the Truckee River to the Newland's Project placed the survival of the trout and cui-ui in jeopardy by hindering their ability to reproduce.

Oddly enough, it was during the early part of the 20th century that Pyramid gained a reputation for its huge trout population. The lake's reputation as a trout fishery drew wide attention, and national celebrities, including President Herbert Hoover and Clark Gable, visited the lake during the 1920s (see Figure 6). In fact, the world record for Lahontan cutthroat trout at 41 pounds was taken from Pyramid Lake in 1925, with unofficial records indicating trout over 60 pounds were captured. However, the renowned trout fishery in Pyramid Lake was gone by 1940 because of the inability of the trout to access their spawning grounds in the Truckee River. The fact that the lake contained only big fish during the 1920s and 1930s was symptomatic of a population in which no new year classes were entering. It is noteworthy that the cui-ui were able to escape the fate of the trout in the lake because of their 40 year lifespan. Cui-ui were able to gain access to the river during a couple of flood events and managed to maintain a small but viable population.

The diversion of water to the Newland's Project was not a temporary affair which federal agencies were willing to correct when they were shown the damage Pyramid Lake incurred from continual water loss. The federal water project had been given the right, or ownership of a large portion of the total flow of the Truckee River. This right was established in federal court by the Orr Ditch Decree which was finalized in 1944. In the partitioning of the Truckee River flow, the tribe was granted the right to divert a total of 32,000 acre-feet/yr of water from the river. This quantity was based on the amount of water that could conceivably be used on irrigable farm land on the Reservation. In contrast, the Newland's Project was given the right to divert hundreds of thousands of acre-feet of water from the Truckee River for its lands. No consideration was given for the lake or its fishery. But, this was the 1940s, and public policy had little regard for tr ibal rights or ecosystem preservation. The Nevada farmers and ranchers prevailed in the allocation of the waters of the Truckee River and the tribe was the clear loser.

The situation after the Orr Ditch Decree in the 1940s was that the tribe owned lands containing a lake but had no control over the quantity or quality of water that flowed into it. Lahontan cutthroat trout were gone from the lake as a result of water diversions from the Truckee River, and the cui-ui was in a state of decline. Further, the tribe had no technical expertise and no money.

With the passage of the Endangered Species Act in the mid 1960s, the tribe acquired a tool to lobby for the preservation of cui-ui and the Pyramid Lake ecosystem as a whole. Following passage of the Act, a state biologist recommended that the cui-ui be listed as an endangered species. This recommendation was based on a dramatic drop in cui-ui catch during the 1950s and 1960s and the elimination of Lahontan cutthroat trout from the system (USFWS 1992). Because of those factors, the cui-ui was listed as federally endangered in 1967. At the time of its listing, only three year classes (1942, 1946, and 1950) of cui-ui existed in Pyramid Lake (Scoppettone et al. 1986).

The recognition of the value of Pyramid Lake that evolved during the 1950s and 1960s did not stop the continued destruction of Truckee River habitat. During the 1960s, the lower Truckee River was channelized by the Army Corps of Engineers to enhance flood control for the benefit of upstream residents in Reno and Sparks. Although state fisheries biologists argued that

channelization would destroy fish habitat, the Army Corps of Engineers were allowed to proceed with the proposed alteration of the lower Truckee River. The channelization was performed, which dramatically increased erosion, destroyed any remaining trout habitat, and caused the delta at the terminus of the river to prograde into Pyramid Lake.

Thus, at the end of the 1960s, the tribe owned a lake in which they still had no control over the quantity or quality of inflow. The cui-ui was now listed as endangered, but its population in Pyramid Lake was still in a state of decline. The prospect of restoring the native trout to the Truckee River was also put off a couple more decades because of the channelization of the lower river for flood control. The bright spot for the period was that there was a growing appreciation outside the tribe for the value of the Pyramid Lake ecosystem.

One of the key tools during the era of litigation was the Endangered Species Act (ESA) which gave teeth to the tribe's claim that its environment had been mismanaged. The listing of the cui-ui as an endangered species had several effects on resource management in the Truckee River system. First, the involvement of the ESA in regional management decisions considerably slowed down the decision making process, which has led to some favorable decisions for the lake. It also provided a legal lever to reduce overall diversions from the Truckee River and a basis to press for congressional support for tribal interests. Finally, the cui-ui's listing as endangered initiated the involvement of several federal agencies in resource management.

In the 1970s, several federal agencies contributed to the management effort of the Pyramid Lake fishery. The most prominent agency was the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) which has the responsibility to develop recovery plans for endangered species. USFWS also became involved in other aspects of resource management on the reservation including a hatchery program for Lahontan cutthroat trout. This involvement of USFWS with the trout effectively displaced the State of Nevada fisheries biologists. Resource management on the Reservation was also aided by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). During the 1970s, BIA contributed substantially to the effort by supporting the tribe's efforts to construct a fish hatchery program on the Reservation and providing money for research on Pyramid Lake. The research supported by BIA entailed an environmental assessment of the ecological resources of Pyramid Lake (Sigler and Kennedy 1978) which continues to be an important asset for resource st udies of the lake. Even the Bureau of Reclamation, the agency responsible for the demise of the fishery played a role in management efforts by building a fish ladder to provide access for the fish of Pyramid Lake to spawning grounds in the lower Truckee River.

A stunning victory for the tribe and its fishery occurred in the mid 1970s when Pyramid Lake's fish species gained the rights to water storage in Stampede Reservoir. This reservoir has a capacity of 226,000 acre-feet. It is the last reservoir that was planned in the watershed and provided a source of new water in the region that was eagerly anticipated. The reservoir was built with federal funds under the authority of the Washoe Project Act, and the additional storage capacity was something everyone in the region had been coveting: the irrigators for croplands, the cities for more growth, and the water and power utility for more profits. However, the fish of Pyramid Lake won.

The court's decision was based on the Secretary of the Interior's first obligation, under the Endangered Species Act, to use federal facilities for the conservation and preservation of listed species. The federal district court ruled that the water stored in Stampede was to be used for the benefit of the threatened and endangered fish species in Pyramid Lake. This decision was appealed but upheld in subsequent court decisions. The water held in Stampede gave the lake two things. First, it provided a quantity of water that could be used to help manage the flows in the Truckee River which were required for fish spawning. Second, it provided the tribe control of a water supply of regional importance and opened the door to changing water management practices within the basin and to reaching a broader, more comprehensive, agreement.

The tribe's legal efforts received a major setback in 1983 when the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the water allocations established by the Orr Ditch Decree. The tribe had challenged the exclusion from the Orr Ditch Decree for Pyramid Lake and its fishery. They based their argument on the Winter's Doctrine, stating that because they had not explicitly given up the rights to the flow of the Truckee River they retained them. However, the Supreme Court upheld the partitioning of Truckee River. The court based this decision on the fact that the tribe was represented by the United States in the Orr Ditch litigation. It recognized that the tribe may have been represented poorly, but the decision stood. This decision by the U.S. Supreme Court brought to a close the opportunity for returning the flow of the Truckee to the lake through a single court ruling.

The era of litigation marked a transition on the Truckee River system from regional politics to a strong federal presence. During the 1970s and early 1980s, regional politics began to play less of a role in determining water allocation decisions in the area. This was because the tribe made certain that every decision was held to federal legal standards. The era of litigation also saw several agencies contribute pieces to recovering the resources of Pyramid Lake and lower Truckee River. However, the tribal government and its representatives were the architects that selected the pieces of federal programs in an attempt to build a solution to the resource management problems.

The federal government supported efforts to seek a settlement to Indian water rights on the Truckee River. After the extensive litigation of the 1970s and early 1980s, the tribe was ready to pursue this course to achieve preservation of Pyramid Lake and the restoration of the lower Truckee River. It was a long row to hoe with some major obstacles along the route. However, with the support of the environmental movement and the tribe asserting itself, the tribe finally came to a negotiated agreement on its water rights by 1990. This negotiated settlement involving the Federal Government, the State of Nevada, the State of California, Sierra Pacific Power Company (the local water and power company), and the tribe became law in November 1990. At the present time the tribe is involved in negotiations on the implementation of the law to assure the integrity of the Pyramid Lake ecosystem.

An important feature of the negotiated settlement is the development and implementation of a cui-ui recovery plan. Under the Endangered Species Act, USFWS is required to develop a detailed plan of action for a population to be self sustaining in its native habitat. A recovery plan for cui-ui in Pyramid Lake was initially drafted in 1978, but because little was known about the life history and habitat of cui-ui, the requirements for the reclassification from endangered to threatened were not quantified (USFWS 1992). This plan underwent a second revision during 1992 and now includes detailed guidelines on how to protect and recover cui-ui in Pyramid Lake and to provide conditions suitable for reproduction. When the plan is fully implemented cui-ui and the lake should do fine.

Other key features of the Settlement Act were as follows: an agreement to change the timing of flows in the Truckee River to benefit fish spawning; rehabilitation of the river environment and improvements in fish passage facilities; an agreement that the remaining unappropriated water in the Truckee would flow to Pyramid Lake; establishment of a Trust Fund to support the operation of the tribe's fishery program; and the establishment of an economic development fund for the Pyramid Lake tribe. The Settlement Act also provided for the transfer of municipal drought storage capacity in Stampede Reservoir to water designated for the enhancement of the Pyramid Lake fishery.

The ability of the tribe to participate in the control of water quality of Pyramid Lake and the lower Truckee River was strengthened in 1987 with the Reauthorization of the Clean Water Act. With the passage of the 1987 amendments, Congress gave tribes the right to participate in the environmental programs administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) under the Act with an equivalent status as states. This includes the regulation of surface water quality. The tribe had the opportunity to determine the desired water quality for Pyramid Lake and the lower Truckee River and the authority to establish water quality standards for those waterbodies. Water quality standards also provided the tribe with the opportunity to direct resource management in the region to attain water quality that would protect the health of the ecosystem as a whole.

USEPA made funding available for tribes to support the development of water quality standards. The Pyramid Lake Paiute tribe took advantage of this funding to assess nutrient loading to Pyramid Lake. To conduct the study, the tribe engaged scientists from the University of California at Davis to participate with tribal personnel in a cooperative study. One of the primary objectives of the joint study was the recommendation of water quality standards for Pyramid Lake and the lower Truckee River. This study was based on an extensive evaluation of the potential for eutrophication of this aquatic system, and the recommendations from the study are currently being considered by the tribe.

An interesting aspect of public policy over the past ten years is that many of the agencies which were responsible for the lake's decline are now involved in its restoration. The Bureau of Reclamation, which was responsible for large water diversions, has funded water quality modeling of the Truckee River to facilitate improved water quality for migrating fish. The Army Corps of Engineers, after destroying much of the fish habitat on the river for flood control, is now working on restoration of the lower Truckee River. This includes developing a solution to the shallow delta at the river mouth. Finally, the federal government, which once gave away water in the Truckee River, is now charged with buying it back and providing more water to the lake.

Thus, the Pyramid Lake experience spans an extensive period of devastation to the beginning of recovery. The resources of Pyramid Lake and the lower Truckee River are not recovered yet, and they will probably never be what they were in the past because of the extent of development that has occurred within the watershed. It does appear that the lake has seen its darkest days. Much of this progress has been due to the tribe's ability to use public policy to advance its cause of reclaiming control of its historic resources.

The tribe modified the operation of the cui-ui hatchery program in the mid-1980s to increase the likelihood of recruitment of adult fish to the natural population. During its first decade of operation, the hatchery program for cui-ui focused on producing a large number of larvae that were subsequently released back into the natural environment. The emphasis of the program was changed by the tribe to the production of fewer total fish that were larger. In addition, a second intention of raising larger fish was to develop a cui-ui population within the hatchery that was separate from the natural spawning population. The intent of this second population was to maintain a population independent from the lake to assure the survival of the species, in the event of a catastrophic destruction of the lake population.

A hatchery program for trout was also developed on the reservation during the 1970s. The availability of freshwater initially limited the development of a trout hatchery program, but that limitation was overcome by an experimental technology involving the reuse of water within the hatchery. With the aid of water reuse technology, a functional hatchery was established on the Reservation in 1974. The tribe expanded its trout hatchery program by building a second rearing facility in 1976 on the shoreline of Pyramid Lake.

This shoreline facility, in contrast to the initial freshwater hatchery, utilized Pyramid Lake water. The shoreside facility was used to acclimate fish to the saline conditions of the lake prior to their release. It also provided the rearing space required to rear fish to a larger size prior to release to lake waters. Rearing fish to a larger size and acclimating them to lakewater conditions were believed to be important factors in improving the survival of fish when released to Pyramid Lake.

The shoreline rearing facility for trout also serves as a collection site for eggs from adult trout during the spawning season. Water released back to Pyramid Lake after use in the rearing facility was found to attract an adult population. These adults were attracted to the flowing stream of water leaving the facility that was cooler than surface waters of the lake and rich in the scent of juvenile trout. Adults attracted into the shoreline facility are artificially spawned, and their eggs are taken to freshwater hatchery locations for rearing to a juvenile size. The juvenile trout are then transferred to the shoreline facility for acclimation and additional growth.

The capacity of the tribe's trout hatchery program has been continually expanded since the program was begun in 1974. Construction of a second freshwater hatchery was begun in 1979, with the same water recycling technology utilized in the tribe's first production facility. Although design problems limited its initial effectiveness, a redesign and expansion of the hatchery in 1986 proved to be very successful, and the facility has been an excellent producer of trout since 1987. The capacity of the shoreline facility to acclimate and hold juvenile fish has also been greatly expanded since the rearing facility was built in 1976. Additional intake structures and pumping capacity have been added to the facility. By 1990, the shoreline facility had the capacity to acclimate all juvenile trout produced in the freshwater hatcheries of the program. Capacity to hold fish and rear them to a larger size prior to release to Pyramid Lake is still being added.

Expansions in the trout hatchery program over the past 20 years have greatly increased the annual production of fish for release to Pyramid Lake. Beginning with a total capacity of 2,270 kg/yr (5,000 lbs/yr) in 1978, production increased to 9,090 kg/yr (20,000 lbs/yr) in 1986, and it is currently 55,000 kg/yr (120,000 lbs/yr). The impact of the increased production of trout released to the lake is currently being evaluated before any additional capacity is added. A study in the late 1970s indicated that the lake could sustain a release rate of 227,000 kg/yr (500,000 lbs/yr) of trout. This study based its findings on how much algae the lake was producing and assumed that growth was being passed through the food chain which ended with the trout. However, the recent eutrophication study conducted by U.C. Davis and the tribe showed that much less algae is currently being produced in the lake than in the 1970s (Lebo et al. 1993a). This could mean that the lake's capacity to support tro ut could be lower than previously thought. An evaluation of the survival and growth of stocked fish is being performed prior to any further expansions of rearing capacity.

The status of the trout population in the lake is evaluated by Pyramid Lake Fisheries in several ways. Each year, the tribe conducts a creel census to evaluate fishing pressure on the lake population and angler success in catching fish. Creel census data also provides information on the length, weight, and age of fish in the lake. In addition to the annual creel census, the tribe tags 15 percent of the fish released each year. This tagging is accomplished by inserting two millimeter long coded wire tags in groups of fish prior to release. This allows the age and growth of discrete groups of trout to be measured when the tagged fish are captured. Finally, Pyramid Lake Fisheries conducts regular lake surveys of the fish population to evaluate the species composition within the lake, assess catch rates, and obtain food habit information (see Figure 8).

After the reauthorization of the Clean Water Act in 1987, the tribe was able to expand its water quality program through funding provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This was accomplished by the cooperative study with scientists from the University of California at Davis (U.C. Davis). The goals of the cooperative study were to increase the capabilities of the tribe, to understand nutrient cycling and algal production in Pyramid Lake, and to develop water quality standards for surface waters of the Reservation. Those goals are complete, with the results of the study summarized in a series of reports (Lebo et al. 1993a, 1993b, 1994b). The water quality standards for Pyramid Lake and the lower Truckee River are currently begin considered by the tribe. In addition, the tribe assumed complete control of water quality monitoring of Pyramid Lake beginning in January 1993.

The cooperative eutrophication study conducted by the tribe and U.C. Davis clearly showed that nitrogen was the nutrient regulating algal growth in Pyramid Lake. Previous studies of the lake had described the system as nitrogen deficient (e.g., Sigler and Kennedy 1978; Lebo et al. 1992), and the U.C. Davis study provided unequivocal evidence to support that conclusion. Further, mass balance calculations indicated a direct relationship between algal production and the supply rate of nitrogen to surface waters. An interesting conclusion of the study is that internal mixing processes provides a majority of total nitrogen supply. Conversely, results of the eutrophication study suggested that the phosphorus concentration in the lake may actually be regulated by natural processes. Thus, the study showed that management strategies to regulate algal production in Pyramid Lake should focus on nitrogen inputs rather than phosphorus. An outcome of the U.C. Davis study is a recommended level of nitrogen loading to the lake that will provide sufficient plant production to support a thriving fishery but not excessively deplete oxygen from bottom waters of the lake.

In the absence of a comprehensive plan, the tribe has moved forward with the restoration of the river by encouraging the development of a healthy riparian community. One of the primary obstacles to development of the riparian community along the lower river has been livestock grazing within the floodplain during winter. The development of a thriving riparian zone along the lower river, thus, requires both promoting growth of desired vegetation and eliminating disturbance. Restoration activities by the tribe have addressed both aspects of the problem. A reduction in livestock grazing pressure along the lower river has been accomplished through the fencing of sections of the river and providing an offstream watering site for cattle during winter. Additionally, a bounty has been placed on beaver in the system to reduce the destruction imposed on the riparian zone by an excessive beaver population. The tribe has promoted the development of the riparian zone directly through the planting of trees along the river at a series of pilot sites.

The tribe has also strived to identify and reduce sources of nitrogen loading to the lower river. Truckee River, similar to Pyramid Lake, is a nitrogen deficient system, with plant production primarily dependent on nitrogen availability (Brock et al. 1992). To identify nonpoint sources of nitrogen to the lower river, the tribe contracted with the scientists at U.C. Davis to conduct a comprehensive assessment. In addition, a wetlands project has been implemented to evaluate the effectiveness of an engineered wetland environment to remove nitrogen from the effluent water from one of the tribe's fish hatcheries. The hatchery recycles water efficiently, but it still discharges about 19 liters per second (0.7 ft3/sec) of water to the river, with an estimated total nitrogen concentration of 3 mg/l. This wetland project is a regional demonstration project to evaluate the effectiveness of low cost, low maintenance wetland environments for nitrogen removal.