By james art Friday, October 25, 2024 | 1:01 p.m
Acting U.S. Deputy Interior Secretary Laura Daniel-Davis visited the Truckee River near Reno on Thursday to highlight the Biden administration’s investments in ecosystem restoration projects, officials said in a news release.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working on a collaborative ecosystem restoration project to help Lahontan and Cui-ui cutthroat trout recover, according to the release.
Both fish are central to the Paiute culture of Pyramid Lake and have been affected by water infrastructure and land use changes, including the installation of dams.
The National Fish Passage Program, located at Numana Reservoir, received $8.3 million in funding from the bipartisan Infrastructure Act, officials said in a news release. Through the program, the US Fish and Wildlife Service works with communities to restore river ecosystems and remove barriers and safety hazards.
The program supports the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe’s vision to address a 100-year barrier to fish mitigation by building a 1,000-foot ramp to open 65 miles of habitat along the Truckee River for the endangered Cui-ui cutthroat and the migration of the threatened Lahontan cutthroat from Pyramid Lake.
Infrastructure through this program reconnects aquatic habitats, increases flood resilience and saves money on long-term repair and replacement costs, the press release said.
Since 1999, the program has worked with over 2,000 local communities, tribes and private landowners and has reopened over 64,000 miles of upstream habitat for fish and other animals.
“In Colorado and across the West, we’re seeing the impact of investments … through efforts that make lands more climate-resilient, which will protect people and property,” Daniel-Davis said.