Last week on her way back from the 27th annual Lake Tahoe Summit, US Senator Catherine Cortez Masto stopped by Walker Lake and toured the Basin with conservative leaders from the Walker Basin Conservancy.
Just last month, Cortez Masto secured $33 million in grant funds to protect Walker, Pyramid, and Summit lakes. The senator was also instrumental in drafting a bill along with Senator Jacky Rosen to extend the Desert Lakes Restoration program.
“The Walker Basin is a beautiful natural ecosystem and home to diverse wildlife and lakes that we must protect,” said Senator Jacky Rosen. “I’m proud to have helped secure this funding by extending the Desert Terminal Lakes program so that we can preserve the basin for future generations,” Senator Rosen said when the bill passed.
Kayla Anderson – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto joined conservation leaders at Walker Lake last week to tour the Basin and discuss her support for the unique desert lake.
Summit, Pyramid, and Walker lakes are deemed “terminal lakes” because they are isolated reservoirs that have no outlets, making them extremely vulnerable to changes in water flows and other environmental disruptions. This grant funding supports community-based conservation efforts, voluntary water acquisitions, and environmental stewardship programs in these “terminal lakes” to help recover the ecosystems, wildlife, flora, communities, and Tribes that depend on it.
While in office, Senator Cortez Masto has passed critical legislation to provide permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to protect Nevada’s public lands and has been a vocal supporter of creating national monuments in the eastern and southern parts of Nevada.
While Walker Lake is starting to rebound thanks to a big 2022/23 winter bringing much needed precipitation into the reservoir, ongoing conservation efforts are needed to keep the water levels up.
“Last year, Senator Cortez Masto passed key legislation to expand the Conservancy’s profound impact for Walker Lake and strengthen our partnership with more than 155 ranchers,” said Peter Stanton, Executive Director of the Walker Basin Conservancy. “Seeing Walker Lake come up 15 feet this year reminds us of how realistic our goal of restoring its fishery is when we’re able to work across party lines and sectors to build economically and environmentally sustainable communities.”
“Walker Lake is a cultural and economic cornerstone for Nevada and Tribal communities, and I’m working to protect it for generations to come,” Senator Cortez Masto stated in a press release. “I’ll keep fighting to deliver funding to help restore and preserve Walker Lake and water resources across the Silver State.”
