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36-593: The range is bordered by Astor Pass and Terraced Hills to the north, Pyramid Lake to the east, Mullen Pass and the Pah Rah Range to the south and Honey Lake Valley, Winnemucca Valley and Dogskin Mountain on the west. The eastern portion along Pyramid Lake is within the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation . The highest summit is Tule Peak 8,724 feet (2,659 m) and notable features include Needle Rock,

72-453: A protection plan. Pyramid Lake, the second largest natural lake in the western U.S. prior to construction of the Derby Dam , has been the focus of several water quality investigations, the most detailed starting in the mid-1980s. Under direction of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a comprehensive dynamic hydrology transport model was developed by Earth Metrics Inc.; the model's name

108-562: Is an endangered species , and one of the few surviving members of its genus. The cui-ui population is generally improving in numbers, having attained an estimated population exceeding one million in 1993, thanks to the efforts of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in analysis of the Truckee River spawning grounds and of the Nevada Department of Environmental Protection and EPA in following up on protection measures. The reason

144-606: Is an uplifted and collapsed anticlinal structure having a N-S trend but bending toward the southeast at the southern end of the range. NW and NNW fault trends in Winnemucca Valley and within the low hills on the eastern range front are believed to be a part of the Walker Lane lineament. Topographic, structural, and geologic evidence yields confidently a first-order, right-lateral, strike-slip fault interpretation. Also indicated are second-order left-lateral, strike slip movements along

180-532: Is approximately 1/6 that of sea water . Although clear Lake Tahoe forms the headwaters that drain to Pyramid Lake, the Truckee River delivers more turbid waters to Pyramid Lake after traversing the steep Sierra terrain and collecting moderately high silt-loaded surface runoff . The north and east sides of the lake have been restricted to the public and non-Tribal members since 2011, when the Tribal Nation made

216-422: Is controlled almost exclusively by the structure. Fault valleys are characteristic of the entire range and are the principal topographic forms, but many other types of drainage are present. The higher elevations are representative of old erosion surfaces.” This Washoe County , Nevada state location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Pyramid Lake (Nevada) Pyramid Lake

252-679: Is in an elongated intermontane basin between the Lake Range on the east, the Virginia Mountains on the west, and the Pah Rah Range on the southwest. The Fox Range and the Smoke Creek Desert lie to the north. In a parallel basin to the east of the Lake Range is Winnemucca Lake , now a dry lake bed. Prior to the construction of the Derby Dam in 1905, both lake levels stood at near 3,880 ft (1,180 m) above sea level. Following

288-464: Is restricted for ecological reasons. Access to the Needles, another spectacular tufa formation at the northern end of the lake, has also been restricted due to recent vandalism. The Pyramid ( 39°58′48″N 119°30′06″W  /  39.98000°N 119.50167°W  / 39.98000; -119.50167 ), also known as Fremont's Pyramid and Pyramid Island, is a small island near the southeastern shore of

324-447: Is the geographic sink of the basin of the Truckee River , 40 mi (64 km) northeast of Reno, Nevada , United States. Pyramid Lake is the biggest remnant of ancient Lake Lahontan , the inland sea that once covered much of western Nevada. It is approximately 27 miles (43 km) long and 11 miles (18 km) wide, with a perimeter of 71 miles (114 km), covering 112,000 acres (45,000 ha) acres entirely enclosed within

360-544: The Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe Reservation . Pyramid Lake is fed by the Truckee River , which is mostly the outflow from Lake Tahoe . The Truckee River enters Pyramid Lake at its southern end. Pyramid Lake is an endorheic lake, with water leaving only by evaporation or sub-surface seepage. The lake has about 10% of the area of the Great Salt Lake , but it has about 25% more volume. The salinity

396-609: The Tui chub and Lahontan cutthroat trout (the world record cutthroat trout was caught in Pyramid Lake). The former is endangered , and the latter is threatened . Both species were critical to the Paiute people in pre-contact times. The Lahontan cutthroat was called "Hoopagaih" by the Paiute people. As they are both obligate freshwater spawners, they rely on sufficient inflow to allow them to run up

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432-502: The pH level is about 9. Temperature ranges between near freezing (32 °F (0 °C)) to over 68 °F (20 °C). Pyramid Lake was used as a stand-in for the Sea of Galilee in the 1965 biblical film, The Greatest Story Ever Told . Also, in 1961, part of The Misfits was filmed nearby. Cui-ui The cui-ui ( Chasmistes cujus ) is a large sucker fish endemic to Pyramid Lake and, prior to its desiccation in

468-636: The "Monkey Condos", the Painted Hills, and Mahogany Flat (7,800 ft (2,400 m)) near the center of the range. The town of Sutcliffe lies on shore of Pyramid Lake adjacent to the range. Nevada State Route 445 runs along the east side of the range along the shore of Pyramid Lake and continues to southwest through Mullen Pass between the Virginia Mountains and the Pah Rah Range to the southeast. “The Virginia Mountains of Washoe County, Nevada,

504-464: The 20th century, Winnemucca Lake in northwestern Nevada . It feeds primarily on zooplankton and possibly on nanoplankton (such as algae and diatoms ). The maximum size of male cui-ui is approximately 53 cm (21 in) and 1.6 kg (3.5 lb), while females reach approximately 64 cm (25 in) and 2.7 kg (6.0 lb). A cui-ui typically lives for 40 years but does not reach sexual maturity until at least age eight. The cui-ui

540-551: The Lake's waters. The fish are doing very well, according to the USFWS project head Lisa Heki. The fish have also been placed in California's Fallen Leaf Lake , upstream of Pyramid Lake, and elsewhere. Fish populations are now sustained by several tribally-run fish hatcheries and state and federal agencies. The Pyramid Lake Lahontan cutthroat trout is one of the largest inland trout species in

576-592: The Pyramid Lake Reservation maintain three hatcheries to ensure the long term viability of the cui-ui. These measures have greatly increased cui-ui populations, although it is still listed as an endangered species. The Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe are the Cui-ui Ticutta, also spelled Kuyuidikado , which translated to "cui-ui eaters." Together with the Lahontan cutthroat trout ( Oncorhynchus clarkii henshawi )

612-724: The Truckee River to spawn, otherwise their eggs will not hatch. Diversion of the Truckee for irrigation at Derby Dam beginning in 1905 reduced inflow and the lake level to such an extent that stream flow is rarely sufficient for spawning. The Truckee Canal diverts water used to irrigate croplands in Fallon. The dam lacks fish ladders , which prevents upstream spawning. By 1939 the Lahontan cutthroat trout (the "salmon-trout" as described by Frémont) became extinct in Pyramid Lake and its tributaries. They were replaced with hatchery trout from outside

648-480: The area. John C. Frémont was the first non-indigenous person to map the lake. The name comes from a large rock formation that resembles a bent pyramid . In the 19th century, two battles were fought near the lake, major actions in the Paiute War . In the 1960s, a marker was placed commemorating these battles. Because of water diversion beginning in 1905 by Derby Dam through Truckee Canal to Lahontan reservoir ,

684-596: The cui-ui may attempt to spawn in Pyramid Lake, but generally with little success due to the salinity of that lake. Water releases from the Boca reservoir and Stampede reservoirs were (as of 2004 ) timed to assist the spawning run, although in drought years this water is reserved for the Reno metropolitan area. These releases are critical to successful spawning since low warm flows at the Truckee River delta are inhospitable to upstream migration of adults. The Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe of

720-527: The cui-ui remains endangered (though upgraded from critically endangered in 2014) is the recent history of recruitment variation, illustrating that in many years of the 1970s and 1980s there was virtually no recruitment whatsoever due to unsuccessful spawning in an unfavorable water quality and water flow environment of the Truckee River. The species' outlook is uncertain since a recovery plan based on an enhanced understanding of Pyramid Lake and Truckee River water quality has been published and U.S. Congress adopted

756-638: The cui-ui was an important food supply for the Cui-ui Tikutta and neighboring Paiute bands who traveled to Pyramid Lake to share in the harvest during the spring spawning runs. Subsequent to European American settlement of western Nevada in the 1860s many Cui-ui Ticutta made a living by selling fish, although the European Americans generally preferred trout to cui-ui. Cui-ui were also still important for subsistence, despite Bureau of Indian Affairs attempts to encourage farming and discourage fishing. After

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792-428: The dam's completion, the water levels dropped to 3,867 ft (1,179 m) and 3,853 ft (1,174 m) for Pyramid and Winnemucca, respectively. In 1957, the Pyramid Lake level was at 3,802 ft (1,159 m) and the dry Winnemucca Lake bed at 3,780 ft (1,150 m) had been dry since the 1930s. Pyramid Lake is the largest remnant of ancient Lake Lahontan , which covered much of northwestern Nevada at

828-488: The decision to close these areas due to the desecration of sacred sites. When visiting, it is recommended to take note of the Tribal protocols and restricted areas. In Northern Paiute language it is called Kooyooe (Cui-ui) Panunadu or Kooyooe Pa'a Panunadu after the cui-ui fish, which helped sustain the populations around the lake. In fact, a major band of Northern Paiute ( endonym : Numu) people whose ancestors lived around

864-516: The eastern mountain front. The structurally very complex southern one-fifth of the range together with the northern portion of the Pah Rah Range suggest distributive branching of the Walker Lane lineament in the brittle Hartford Hill rhyolite as the lineament nears termination in southern Washoe County. The present topography of the Virginia Mountains is the result of bending of layers of volcanic rocks, high- angle and strike-slip faulting, and erosion in an arid to semi-arid climate. Major and minor drainage

900-439: The end of the last ice age . It was the deepest point of Lake Lahontan, reaching an estimated 890 feet (270 m) due to its low level relative to the surrounding basins. Sutcliffe is on the west shore of Pyramid Lake along State Route 445 . Nixon is on the Truckee River to the southeast of the lake on State Route 447 . The largest tufa formation, Anaho Island , is home to a large colony of American white pelicans and

936-670: The lake area has long been inhabited by the Paiute , who ancestrally fished the Tui chub , Cui-ui , and Lahontan cutthroat trout from the lake. The Shoshone and Washo also regularly fished in the lake. According to traditional narratives, the Washo specifically were given fishing rights in Pyramid Lake after assisting the Paiutes in defeating a nearby tribe of giants. Archeological evidence shows that human populations lived in this area between 9500 B.C.E. and 1400 A.D. Excavations have uncovered tools, weapons, clothing, food, and mummified bodies in

972-525: The lake call themselves the Kooyooe Tukadu, "cui-ui eaters." In Washo the name of the lake is Á’waku dáʔaw, meaning "trout lake." The English name of the lake, given to it by explorer John C. Frémont , comes from the impressive cone- or pyramid-shaped tufa formations found in the lake and along the shores. A remnant of the Pleistocene Lake Lahontan (~890 feet or 270 meters deep),

1008-554: The lake's existence was threatened, and the Paiute sued the Department of the Interior. By the mid-1970s, the lake had lost 80 feet (24 m) of depth, and according to Paiute fisheries officials, the lake's life was seriously under threat. According to documentary filmmaker John Pilger , the irrigation scheme for which water was diverted was an economic failure. Pyramid Lake is located in southeastern Washoe County in western Nevada. It

1044-451: The lake. It is located approximately 1.2 miles (2 km) northeast of Anaho Island and slightly less than six miles (9.5 km) from the community of Sutcliffe. The white band seen to the east of the island is composed of calcium carbonate which came from when the lake was at or near its overflow point. Major fish species include the Cui-ui lakesucker, which is endemic to Pyramid Lake,

1080-625: The missing Pyramid Lake variety. Subsequent DNA testing of a museum specimen has shown his identification to be correct. The fish had been dumped in the creek in the early 20th century. A brood stock was raised at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 's Lahontan National Fish Hatchery in Gardnerville, Nevada , and a successful reintroduction effort was mounted by the USFWS and the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe . As of 2017, 24 pound Pyramid Lake Lahontan cutthroat trout are again being caught from

1116-549: The most detailed starting in the mid-1980s. Under direction of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , a comprehensive dynamic water quality computer model , the DSSAM Model was developed to analyze impacts of a variety of land use and wastewater management decisions throughout the 3,120-square-mile (8,100 km ) Truckee River Basin. Analytes addressed included nitrogen , reactive phosphate , total dissolved solids , dissolved oxygen and nine other parameters. Based on

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1152-451: The use of the model, some decisions have been influenced to enhance Pyramid Lake water quality and aid the viability of Pyramid Lake biota . Another contaminant of interest is mercury , introduced to Pyramid Lake from the Truckee River. It is suggested that mercury remediation efforts be carefully considered such that methylmercury production is not enhanced. Salinity increased from 0.5 to 0.7 ounces per US gallon (3.7 to 5 g/L), and

1188-417: The viability of Pyramid Lake biota , including the cui-ui. The dynamic river model was particularly useful for analyzing Truckee River temperature variations, since the cui-ui often swim upstream to spawn, and their fry are vulnerable to elevations in river temperature. The cui-ui is potamodromous , and will attempt to ascend the Truckee River to spawn in mid-April. If inflow is insufficient to permit this,

1224-521: The watershed. However, in 1979 a remnant population of the original Pyramid Lake cutthroat trout was discovered in a small brook on Pilot Peak , on the Nevada/Utah border, by Dr. Robert Behnke of Colorado State University while he was looking for the Bonneville cutthroat trout , another subspecies of the cutthroat trout . The fish were tiny and in poor condition, but Behnke identified the fingerlings as

1260-471: The world. The following data are for the census-designated place (CDP) of Sutcliffe, NV, located on the shore of Pyramid Lake. At 8b the hardiness zone of the lake area is the highest in northern Nevada. Because of the endangered species present and because the Lake Tahoe Basin comprises the headwaters of the Truckee River, Pyramid Lake has been the focus of several water quality investigations,

1296-419: Was subsequently changed to DSSAM , and it was applied to analyze impacts of a variety of land use and wastewater management decisions throughout the 3,120-square-mile (8,100 km ) Truckee River Basin. Analytes addressed included nitrogen, reactive phosphate, dissolved oxygen, and ten other parameters. Based upon use of the model, some decisions have been influenced to enhance Pyramid Lake water quality and aid

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