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^ General description: About 192,000 acres of wetlands have been inventoried in 



Z this state. About 56% of these are rated of high waterfowl value. They have 



been grouped into five regions: the Northwestern, which includes wetlands 

 within the Charles Sheldon National Antelope Range; the Humboldt River 

 Basin; the Truckee-Carson-Walker River drainage systems; the East-Central, 

 which includes fresh marshes in the Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge and 

 around Franklin Lake; and the Southeastern, containing the saline types of the 

 Pahranagat Valley. 



Status of the wetlands: Diversion of water is probably the foremost threat to the 

 wetlands of this state; grazing and watering of livestock would be second. Some 

 of the unique aquatic ecosystems are threatened by the introduction of exotic 

 species. 



Sources of data: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has published a wetlands in- 

 ventory (1954, 1955). Four specific sites were suggested by professional biolo- 

 gists. 



Recommendations: Reports on wetland types in this state are so fragmentary as 

 to be worthless in recommending priorities. The Humboldt River bottoms 

 should be carefully inventoried and appropriate sections brought under protec- 

 tion. The same should apply to the fresh marshes of the Ruby Lake area and the 

 saline wetlands of the Pahranagat Valley. The Washoe Lake Dunes area was 

 specifically recommended for preservation, with the comment that sections of 

 shoreline on other desert basin lakes also be included. Pyramid Lake itself was 

 singled out by one of our respondents as a unique remnant of the Pleistocene 

 Lake Lahontan. It should surely be included in the roster of sites worthy of land- 

 mark status, under the appropriate theme category. It has special interest for its 

 fisheries and its pelican rookery and is in some jeopardy from desiccation due to 

 inadequate releases of water from the Truckee River. The springs and sloughs in 

 the Ash Meadows support populations of several species of fish that are in 

 danger of extinction. No data were obtained regarding the associated wetland 

 vegetation of this arid region. 



Literature cited 



Fish and Wildlife Service. 1954. Wetlands inventory, Nevada. U.S. Dept. of 



Interior, Portland, Ore. 

 Pish and Wildlife Service. 1955. Inventory of permanent waters of 



importance to waterfowl, Nevada. U.S. Dept. of Interior, Portland, Ore. 



