Transactions of the Western Section of the Wildlife Society

1978, Volume 14


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Year1978
Volume14
TitleImpacts of the 1976-77 Drought on the Northern Nevada Fisheries
Author(s)Patrick Coffin
ArticleLink to PDF

Abstract:
Evaluation of the drought impact upon Nevada waters entails an area of 110,000 square miles and 900 waters. Analysis of six key hydrographic regions including the Snake River Basin, Humboldt River Basin, Isolated River Basins, and Truckee, Carson, and Walker River Basins of Western Nevada provided data concerning the drought impact within Nevada. The Snake River Basin of Northeastern Nevada was lightly affected by the drought with below average precipitation only in 1977. The Humboldt River Basin was lightly involved in the drought in 1976 and seriously involved in 1977. Eighty-six percent of the streams checked had higher or similar population levels to those found in 1957. The Central Nevada Isolated Basins have no major streams although 195 small streams are present Stream flows were below average in 1976 and 1977, but the impacts on the stream fisheries were minimal The Truckee, Carson, .and Walker River Basins were the most seriously impacted in Nevada. Streamflows from the Sierra Nevada Range into Nevada were much below normal in both 1976 and 1977. Many reservoirs were drained or drawn to minimum pool. Streamt10ws were low and water temperatures high by late summer. This increases predation by birds and man. The drought of 1976-77 was not as serious as the droughts of 1959-60-61 and 1953-54-55. Trout stocking programs were carried out earlier than usual in 1977. Stome stocking was cancelled in anticipation of problems.


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