Posted on 04/26/2009 6:33:20 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
Reno -- On the windswept desert of northern Nevada, spring in one tiny town has been welcomed for years with a festival to a celebrated group of visitors - migrating loons. Perilously clumsy on land but graceful and sleek in water, the large birds with a haunting call used to descend on Walker Lake by the hundreds to gorge on a fishy feast of small tui chub before continuing their journey to who knows where.
Not this year, and the reason is Walker Lake itself. Its water quality and levels have declined and along with them the rich bounty of small fish that attracted the loons.
The result: Hawthorne's Loon Festival, held each year in late April, was canceled, replaced by a day to bring awareness to Walker Lake's teetering ecosystem and ongoing, multimillion-dollar and multifaceted efforts to save it from a salty demise.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
The jokes sometimes just write themselves.
Darn it. I thought this had something to do with Sundance Ranch.
Dang, I too thought they might be shutting down Congress.
Couldn’t they have just gotten Nancy Pelosi to speak that would have drawn loons from all over.
Some of them are birds ...
The article is actually a justification to deny irrigation water to local farmers. Baitfish and loon migration courses being, of course, far more important to liberals than local human sustainability (i.e. people feeding themselves).
The loons, however are no doubt one lake over gorging themselves.
In the mean time, I’ll bet you anything the Nevada legislature is sneaking some bill through for the seizure of the soon-to-be-dry farmer’s fields in the name of “public lands” - which the public will then be banned from.
Liberal scum - now in six new flavors.
I thought sure this was about a Democratic convention.
Off topic, but the white pelicans have returned to my neck of the woods in Minnesota. I’m 35 miles west of Minneapolis and never realized pelicans lived here until four years ago. Loons, eh, they’re common.
I saw Pelicans in the Middle of Saskatchewan...
Translation: The farmers are screwed.
Wow. When was that? It must be at nesting time? I find them to be fascinating birds.
On the windswept desert of northern Nevada, spring in one tiny town has been welcomed for years with a festival to a celebrated group of visitors - migrating loons.
Hawthorne isn't tiny, especially when you count the Army Base (with its 9 hole golf course). Babbit and Mina are smaller.
Researchers plan to release details of their studies in June to a stakeholders group that includes agricultural users, the Walker River Paiute Tribe, residents, and various local, state and federal officials.
What they don't spell out is that Walker Lake has been drying up for decades because of the water diversion to the Indian Reservation, IIRC, at Schurz.
Thompson, who first came to Hawthorne in the 1940s, fears time is running out to save the lake's fishery. Barge tours on the lake this summer may be replaced by kayaks because of low water levels. He wonders, after a third year of drought, how much longer the larger fish will be able to hang on as the water continues to recede and quality deteriorates.
It makes him sad. But he remains optimistic that all the studies and pledges of cooperation may finally bring fresh water to a dying desert lake.
He just hopes it's not too late.
Who is this transplant? He's probably hoping Harry Reid will throw stimulus money in the Lake so it will rise.
It is a beautiful lake. Regardless of the cause of it disappearing, it is still sad.
It’s gorgeous. And rather mysterious. I don’t know if it’s been fully researched with sonar, but there have been spots where “they” didn’t know where the bottom was.
The drive down 95 is so beautiful, with the moutains on one side, and Walker Lake on the other. I’m pretty familiar with the area, although I haven’t been there for quite a number of years.
Another thought: everyone has known about the problem for years, and knew this day would come. It’s a shame that nothing was done sooner.
Very nice picture looking north.
It was in the middle of summer....seems they migrate there for summer vacation....
I think that big mountain in the foreground is Mt. Grant.
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