Forty people disembark from a charter bus outside Reno, Nevada, and step out to a sunny, clear day and an expansive lake in the Great Basin desert that holds stories of trials and tribulations.
The travelers were on a field trip as part of River Network’s seventh Environmental Flows Workshop, a gathering of environmental flow practitioners from throughout the Colorado River Basin and California. Environmental flows refer to the amount, timing and quality of water in a river or stream required to sustain ecosystems and people. The workshop provided a space to share best practices, advance learning, and work strategically on increasing the pace, scale, and impact of freshwater restoration, and the field trip provided a chance to see how partners in the Walker River Basin are tackling this issue.
Clear water lapped at the lake’s edge as the workshop participants gathered around to learn about this water body and humankind’s long-held connection to it. This is Walker Lake, a terminal water body and traditional home for the Agai Dicutta or Walker River Paiute Tribe. The importance of the lake and Walker River for the tribe are reflected in their name: Agai Dicutta means “trout eater” in Numu.
