Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation
Encyclopedia
The Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation
is a United States reservation in northwestern Nevada
~approximately 35 miles (56.3 km) northeast of Reno
, in Washoe
, Storey
, and Lyon
Counties. It lies almost entirely in Washoe County (99.88%), with but tiny amounts of land in the other two counties (at the southern end, near the city of Fernley
). It is governed by the Pyramid Lake Paiute
tribe (Cui Ui Ticutta). In 1993, the population of the reservation was 1,603 individuals. At that time there were 2,253 enrolled members of the tribe. The 2000 census
reported a population of 1,734.
The reservation has 742.2 sq mi (1,922.3 km²) in land area, and includes all of Pyramid Lake, and all of the Truckee River
from the Big Bend north. The reservation is centered on Pyramid Lake, and the lake itself comprises 25% of the reservation's area. The reservation also includes a sliver of Winnemucca Lake
, most of the Lake Range
, portions of the Virginia Mountains
and Pah Rah Range
and the southern end of the Smoke Creek Desert
.
There are three communities on the reservation. Sutcliffe
is located on the western shore of the lake, Nixon
is at the southern end of the lake, and Wadsworth
, the largest, is located near the Big Bend of the Truckee at the southern end of the reservation, just north of the non-reservation town of Fernley
. There are a few outlying ranch
es along the Truckee River between Wadsworth and Nixon. Nixon is the seat of tribal government.
The reservation land was first set aside for the Northern Paiute by request of the Bureau of Indian Affairs
in 1859. The reservation was not surveyed until 1865. The status of the reservation was very uncertain until President Ulysses S. Grant
affirmed its existence by executive order on March 23, 1874. At that time the creation of reservations by the executive branch was novel - most previous reservations were created by treaty or congressional legislation. Subsequent court decisions have affirmed the validity of reservations created by the executive branch, and have set the establishment date for the Pyramid Lake Reservation at 1859, not 1874. This earlier date is important both with regards to the priority date
of tribal water rights, and the status of non-tribal claims to land within the reservation. The tribe has fought a long series of legal battles on both these issues.
fishery at Pyramid Lake draws many anglers
from the Reno area and beyond. Sale of fishing licenses and boating permits is a large source of revenue for the tribe. Prior to the construction of Derby Dam
and the diversion of water from the Truckee River for irrigation
, the lake supported a commercial fishery which was an even larger revenue source for the tribe.
Historically water levels have been declining in Pyramid Lake; in addition, water quality has been impacted by upstream discharges including point and non-point sources. A number of studies have been conducted on Pyramid Lake including application of the DSSAM hydrological river model to examine nitrogen
, reactive phosphorus
, dissolved oxygen and other water quality parameters.
Indian reservation
An American Indian reservation is an area of land managed by a Native American tribe under the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs...
is a United States reservation in northwestern Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
~approximately 35 miles (56.3 km) northeast of Reno
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
, in Washoe
Washoe County, Nevada
Washoe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. The population was 421,407 at the 2010 census. Its county seat is Reno. Washoe County includes the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area.-History:...
, Storey
Storey County, Nevada
Storey County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2000 census, the population was 3,399, which was estimated to have risen to 4,110 in 2006...
, and Lyon
Lyon County, Nevada
Lyon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2010 census, the population was 51,980. Its county seat is Yerington.-History:...
Counties. It lies almost entirely in Washoe County (99.88%), with but tiny amounts of land in the other two counties (at the southern end, near the city of Fernley
Fernley, Nevada
Fernley is a city in Lyon County, Nevada, United States, within Reno-Sparks-Lake Tahoe metropolitan. The city incorporated in 2001, including land in Washoe County; prior to that it was a census-designated place . The population of the CDP was 8,543 at the 2000 census; the city itself had an...
). It is governed by the Pyramid Lake Paiute
Paiute
Paiute refers to three closely related groups of Native Americans — the Northern Paiute of California, Idaho, Nevada and Oregon; the Owens Valley Paiute of California and Nevada; and the Southern Paiute of Arizona, southeastern California and Nevada, and Utah.-Origin of name:The origin of...
tribe (Cui Ui Ticutta). In 1993, the population of the reservation was 1,603 individuals. At that time there were 2,253 enrolled members of the tribe. The 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
reported a population of 1,734.
The reservation has 742.2 sq mi (1,922.3 km²) in land area, and includes all of Pyramid Lake, and all of the Truckee River
Truckee River
The Truckee River is a stream in the U.S. states of California and Nevada. The river is about long. Its endorheic drainage basin is about , of which about are in Nevada. The Truckee is the sole outlet of Lake Tahoe and drains part of the high Sierra Nevada, emptying into Pyramid Lake in the Great...
from the Big Bend north. The reservation is centered on Pyramid Lake, and the lake itself comprises 25% of the reservation's area. The reservation also includes a sliver of Winnemucca Lake
Winnemucca Lake
Winnemucca Lake, just east of Pyramid Lake in the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of Nevada is on the dividing line between Washoe County and Pershing County counties.- Geography :...
, most of the Lake Range
Lake Range
The Lake Range is a mountain range located in western Nevada in the United States. It is entirely in Washoe County, and the southern two-thirds are in the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation. The ridge runs north-south for approximately 35 miles....
, portions of the Virginia Mountains
Virginia Mountains
The Virginia Mountains is an irregular mountain range entirely in Washoe County, Nevada, that generally extends north-northwest to south-southeast for ~20 miles....
and Pah Rah Range
Pah Rah Range
The Pah Rah Range is a mountain range located in western Nevada in the United States. It is a north-south running ridge, approximately long, and is wholly in Washoe County. It is bounded to the south and east by the Truckee River, to which its surface runoff from south and east slopes flow, and...
and the southern end of the Smoke Creek Desert
Smoke Creek Desert
The Smoke Creek Desert is an arid region of northwestern Nevada, USA that lies to the north of Pyramid Lake, west of the Fox Range and east of the Smoke Creek Mountains. The southern end of the desert lies on the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation, and a rail line lies at the eastern edge...
.
There are three communities on the reservation. Sutcliffe
Sutcliffe, Nevada
Sutcliffe is a census-designated place in Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The population was 281 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Reno–Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Sutcliffe is located at ....
is located on the western shore of the lake, Nixon
Nixon, Nevada
Nixon is a census-designated place in Washoe County, Nevada, USA. The population was 418 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Reno–Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area...
is at the southern end of the lake, and Wadsworth
Wadsworth, Nevada
Wadsworth is a census-designated place in Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The population was 881 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Reno–Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town was named for General James S. Wadsworth, a Civil War general killed at the battle of the...
, the largest, is located near the Big Bend of the Truckee at the southern end of the reservation, just north of the non-reservation town of Fernley
Fernley, Nevada
Fernley is a city in Lyon County, Nevada, United States, within Reno-Sparks-Lake Tahoe metropolitan. The city incorporated in 2001, including land in Washoe County; prior to that it was a census-designated place . The population of the CDP was 8,543 at the 2000 census; the city itself had an...
. There are a few outlying ranch
Ranch
A ranch is an area of landscape, including various structures, given primarily to the practice of ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle or sheep for meat or wool. The word most often applies to livestock-raising operations in the western United States and Canada, though...
es along the Truckee River between Wadsworth and Nixon. Nixon is the seat of tribal government.
The reservation land was first set aside for the Northern Paiute by request of the Bureau of Indian Affairs
Bureau of Indian Affairs
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is an agency of the federal government of the United States within the US Department of the Interior. It is responsible for the administration and management of of land held in trust by the United States for Native Americans in the United States, Native American...
in 1859. The reservation was not surveyed until 1865. The status of the reservation was very uncertain until President Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
affirmed its existence by executive order on March 23, 1874. At that time the creation of reservations by the executive branch was novel - most previous reservations were created by treaty or congressional legislation. Subsequent court decisions have affirmed the validity of reservations created by the executive branch, and have set the establishment date for the Pyramid Lake Reservation at 1859, not 1874. This earlier date is important both with regards to the priority date
Prior appropriation water rights
Prior appropriation water rights, sometimes known as the Colorado Doctrine in reference to the U.S. Supreme Court case Wyoming v. Colorado, is a system of allocating water rights from a water source that is markedly different from riparian water rights...
of tribal water rights, and the status of non-tribal claims to land within the reservation. The tribe has fought a long series of legal battles on both these issues.
Environmental factors
The Lahontan Cutthroat troutCutthroat trout
The cutthroat trout is a species of freshwater fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. It is one of the many fish species colloquially known as trout...
fishery at Pyramid Lake draws many anglers
Angling
Angling is a method of fishing by means of an "angle" . The hook is usually attached to a fishing line and the line is often attached to a fishing rod. Fishing rods are usually fitted with a fishing reel that functions as a mechanism for storing, retrieving and paying out the line. The hook itself...
from the Reno area and beyond. Sale of fishing licenses and boating permits is a large source of revenue for the tribe. Prior to the construction of Derby Dam
Derby Dam
Derby Dam is a diversion dam on the Truckee River, located between Reno and Fernley in Storey and Washoe counties in the U.S. state of Nevada. It diverts water that would otherwise feed Pyramid Lake into the Carson River watershed for irrigation use. It is operated by the Truckee-Carson...
and the diversion of water from the Truckee River for irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
, the lake supported a commercial fishery which was an even larger revenue source for the tribe.
Historically water levels have been declining in Pyramid Lake; in addition, water quality has been impacted by upstream discharges including point and non-point sources. A number of studies have been conducted on Pyramid Lake including application of the DSSAM hydrological river model to examine nitrogen
Nitrogen
Nitrogen is a chemical element that has the symbol N, atomic number of 7 and atomic mass 14.00674 u. Elemental nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and mostly inert diatomic gas at standard conditions, constituting 78.08% by volume of Earth's atmosphere...
, reactive phosphorus
Phosphorus
Phosphorus is the chemical element that has the symbol P and atomic number 15. A multivalent nonmetal of the nitrogen group, phosphorus as a mineral is almost always present in its maximally oxidized state, as inorganic phosphate rocks...
, dissolved oxygen and other water quality parameters.