drought

Climate change: Is it real? Yes! Is there something that you can do? Yes! A few years ago I became more aware and concerned about our environment. My concern was elevated based upon what I was reading, hearing and witnessing.

RENO — With much of the State of Nevada listed as in extreme drought, Nevadans are facing forecasts for a mild winter, with little precipitation since the rainy season started. With these designations, southern Nevadans are facing a mild and dry winter and northern Nevadans are looking at an uncertain forecast. All could face water restrictions, crop or pasture loss and, with exceptional drought, water shortage emergencies.

Nevada Humanities has announced the book selections for its statewide 2021 Nevada Reads program. Nevada Reads will feature two memoirs — Miracle Country: A Memoir by Kendra Atleework, and World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatathil.

Often called the “jewel of the Sierra,” Lake Tahoe offered warm solace for Nevadans this summer amid the crushing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has pushed people outside in greater numbers as the virus spreads more easily in indoor spaces.

In response to the current severe risk of wildfire, the Bureau of Land Management, Nevada Division of Forestry and Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest elevated the current fire restrictions on August 7. The heightened restrictions prohibit all open flame campfires on state and federal lands, including within developed campgrounds, day use areas and dispersed camp areas.

At midnight Saturday the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest entered Stage 2 Fire Restrictions in response to the current severe risk of wildfire. Nevada is experiencing record dry conditions with much of the state in a severe drought.

In a scene reminiscent of the "old days" a small string of pack laden horses recently made their way into the rugged Toiyabe Mountains of central Nevada. Their precious cargo was neither gold nor silver but rather a load of brook trout fingerlings bound for two of the many small streams that can be found in that part of the Silver State.

Summit Lake in remote northwest Nevada is home to the only self-sustaining, robust, lake population of Lahontan Cutthroat Trout, North America’s largest freshwater native trout species.

The Coronavirus has made many people want to grow their own food. At the Foothill Garden, a partnership with The Greenhouse Project and Carson Tahoe Health, Will Pierz, the garden manager and farmer, is growing some unusual, but hardy edible plants.

Nevada’s public land management agencies remain committed to protecting all residents and visitors through fostering wildfire-resilient landscapes and communities. As the weather warms up and Nevadans spend more time outdoors, land managers are encouraging residents to recreate safely and responsibly to help prevent wildfires, protect lives and property, and preserve our precious natural wonders that we all love.

RENO — With wildland fires eating up the forests and rangelands of Nevada each summer, and fire season now upon us, University of Nevada, Reno scientists are examining how drought, climate change and land management will affect future fire activity and how fires can in turn influence plant, soil and hydrologic processes.

I just read an interesting article called “How are gardeners adapting to climate change?” in the British magazine “Gardens Illustrated.” The authors interviewed head gardeners at National Trust properties across the United Kingdom. All the gardeners were seeing effects of climate change such as “floods to drier summers.”

The Carson City Board of Supervisors will host their next meeting on Thursday, Jan. 16 beginning at 8:30 a.m. in the Sierra Room of the Community Center, located at 851 E. William Street.

On the docket for discussion items include a report on deaths occurring at the Carson City Jail, a discussion about restricting religious use at the Brewery Arts Center, presentations of length of service awards, and more.

Winter sun and drying winds can damage not only our skin, but the bark of trees and shrubs. It seems obvious that plants might get sunburned in the summer, but less intuitive that it also happens in the winter when it is called winter sunscald.

On Friday, Gov. Sisolak signed an Executive Order directing state agencies to develop and implement a robust climate strategy in Nevada. The Nature Conservancy applauds Governor Sisolak and his effort to advance comprehensive climate action in Nevada.

This year, the fan-favorite Cecil the Serpent of Walker Lake will be returning to Carson City for the first time in decades to participate in the Nevada Day parade this Saturday.

California’s native Paiute cutthroat trout, the rarest trout in North America, swims once again in its high Sierra home waters for the first time in more than 100 years.

One of the things I used to do at University of Nevada Cooperative Extension was diagnosing plant problems. When people brought in samples, I, other Extension staff and volunteers would examine them to see what the problem was and what might be causing it.

After passing unanimously in the Assembly and Senate, Senate Bill 140 (SB 140), which sets aside 10 percent of uncommitted groundwater as a reserve, was signed into law yesterday by Gov. Steve Sisolak. The Nature Conservancy in Nevada is focused on protecting water for the environment and applauds the legislature and Governor for taking this innovative step toward conserving water for communities, for the environment, and for the future.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit will begin to open recreational facilities in the Lake Tahoe Basin beginning this Saturday, April 27 at Baldwin and Nevada beaches.

In Nevada, the most parched state in the nation, flowers grow under rocks. They bloom in ghost towns, wave atop mountains, and bud under neon lights. Explorer John Charles Frémont began cataloging the flora that flourish throughout the State in the 1840s.

I have been curious how climate change will affect Nevada in years to come. I found an informative site here that is put out by climatecentral.org.

RENO — Winter snows are accumulating in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, creating the snowpacks that serve as a primary source of water for the western U.S. However, due to rising average temperatures, snowpacks in the Great Basin appear to be transitioning from seasonal, with a predictable amount and melt rate, to “ephemeral,” or short-lived, which are less predictable and only last up to 60 days.

CARSON CITY — 2018 was an exciting year for the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. As we put 2018 in the rear-view mirror, we’d like to celebrate some of our more notable highlights from the past year, and share a glimpse into what’s in store for 2019.

RENO — A destructive fire-generated vortex — a massive stream of rising, spinning, smoke, ash and fire — that topped out at 17,000 feet above the earth, accelerated the Carr fire that killed eight people and devastated a widespread area in the Redding, Calif., region in July 2018.

The vortex, a little-observed atmospheric phenomena, was spinning with the power of a class three tornado, which earned it the name of Firenado.

With dense vegetation spanning over 300 acres, the iconic Spooner Lake portion of Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park is increasingly susceptible to environmental disturbances threatening the health of the Tahoe Basin. State officials from forestry, parks and lands announced Thursday the closure of the Spooner Lake portion of Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park from Sept. 12 to Nov. 16 to address forest health issues.

I’m worried about my green ash trees (Fraxinus pennsylvanica). They have always been such hardy trees, tolerant of drought, cold, sun, wind and alkalinity. They have needed little fertilizer or care and, in the past, always seemed to thrive.

CARSON CITY — The US Forest Service projects as many as 26 million trees will die this year from drought or beetles, and that estimate is down from 27 million in 2017 and a peak of more than 60 million in 2016. Average global temperatures are rising, and some models show as much as a 7 degree increase in average annual temperature in the Sierra Nevada mountains by the end of the century.

Nearly 25 years ago, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and dozens of partners embarked on an unprecedented mission to conserve and restore the Lake Tahoe Basin’s treasured natural resources through the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program.

Lake Tahoe is one of the clearest lakes in the world, known around the globe for its spectacular scenery. The lake’s water clarity is one of the many attributes that make the Tahoe Basin such an amazing natural resource and a mecca for outdoor recreation.