Pyramid Lake (Nevada) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pyramid Lake |
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The tufa formation that gives Pyramid Lake its name.
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 Pyramid Lake
Location in Nevada
Pyramid Lake
Location in the United States
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| Location | Washoe County, Nevada, United States |
| Coordinates | 40°03′45″N 119°33′49″W / 40.06250°N 119.56361°W |
| Lake type | endorheic salt lake |
| Etymology | pyramidal limestone columns |
| Primary inflows | Truckee River |
| Catchment area | 1,825.8 sq mi (4,729 km2) |
| Max. length | 29.8 mi (48.0 km) |
| Max. width | 8.7 mi (14.0 km) |
| Surface area | 188 sq mi (490 km2) |
| Max. depth | 356 ft (109 m) |
| Water volume | 23,660,000 acre-feet (29.18 km3) |
| Surface elevation | 3,796 ft (1,157 m) (1980 data) |
| Islands | Anaho Island |
Pyramid Lake is a large, salty lake in Nevada, United States. It is about 40 mi (64 km) northeast of Reno. This lake is special because it's the end point for the Truckee River. Water flows in, but it doesn't flow out anywhere else. Water only leaves the lake through evaporation (turning into vapor and going into the air).
Pyramid Lake is the biggest part left of an ancient, huge inland sea called Lake Lahontan. This sea once covered most of Nevada a very long time ago. Even though it's salty, the lake's saltiness is much less than ocean water.
The northern and eastern parts of the lake are closed to the public. This is because the local Paiute Tribe decided to protect their sacred sites there. If you visit, it's important to know and follow their rules.
Contents
History of Pyramid Lake
Pyramid Lake is what remains of a much deeper ancient lake from the Pleistocene Ice Age. The lake area has been home to the Paiute people for a very long time. They traditionally fished for Tui chub and Lahontan cutthroat trout in the lake.
The first American to map the lake was John C. Frémont in 1844. He also gave the lake its English name, "Pyramid Lake." In the 1800s, two important battles of the Paiute War happened near the lake. A marker was placed in the 1960s to remember these events.
Starting in 1905, water from the Truckee River was diverted by the Derby Dam. This water was sent through the Truckee Canal to another reservoir. This diversion caused the lake's water level to drop a lot. By the mid-1970s, the lake had lost 80 feet of depth. This seriously threatened the fish and other life in the lake. The Paiute Tribe even sued the government to protect the lake.
Timeline of Key Events
- 1903: Water from the Truckee River was diverted by the Derby Dam. This led to the disappearance of the Lahontan cutthroat trout from Pyramid Lake. These fish are now brought in from other places.
- 1936: The Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe approved their own rules and government.
- 1987: A study was finished to understand the water quality of the Truckee River.
Geography and Features
Pyramid Lake is in western Nevada, in Washoe County. It sits in a long valley surrounded by mountain ranges. These include the Lake Range to the east and the Virginia Mountains to the west.
To the east of Pyramid Lake is Winnemucca Lake, which is now a dry lake bed. Before the Derby Dam was built in 1905, both lakes had similar water levels. After the dam, Pyramid Lake's level dropped, and Winnemucca Lake completely dried up by the 1930s.
Pyramid Lake is the largest remaining part of ancient Lake Lahontan. It was the deepest spot of this huge ancient lake, reaching about 890 feet (270 m) deep.
Two towns near the lake are Sutcliffe on the west shore and Nixon to the southeast.
The lake gets its name from cool, pyramid-shaped rock formations called tufa. These formations are found in the lake and along its shores. The biggest one is Anaho Island. This island is a protected home for many American white pelicans. Another amazing tufa formation is called the Needles, but access to it is limited to protect it.
The Pyramid Island
The Pyramid (39°58′48″N 119°30′06″W / 39.98000°N 119.50167°W) is a small island near the southeastern shore. It's about 1.2 miles northeast of Anaho Island. You can see a white band on the east side of the island. This band shows where the lake's water level used to be much higher.
Fish and Wildlife
Pyramid Lake is home to several important fish species. These include the Cui-ui lakesucker, which is found only in Pyramid Lake. The Tui chub and the Lahontan cutthroat trout also live here. The world record for the largest cutthroat trout was caught in Pyramid Lake!
The Cui-ui is an endangered fish, and the Lahontan cutthroat trout is a threatened species. Both were very important food sources for the Paiute people long ago. These fish need to swim up the Truckee River to lay their eggs. If there isn't enough water flowing, their eggs won't hatch.
When the Derby Dam was built in 1905, it blocked the fish from swimming upstream. This caused the Lahontan cutthroat trout to disappear from Pyramid Lake by 1939. However, in 1979, a small group of the original Pyramid Lake cutthroat trout was found in a tiny stream. Scientists confirmed they were the missing fish.
Since then, efforts have been made to bring these fish back to Pyramid Lake. Fish hatcheries now help raise and release them into the lake. As of 2017, large Lahontan cutthroat trout are being caught in the lake again. These fish are now doing very well. The Pyramid Lake Lahontan cutthroat trout is one of the biggest trout species in the world!
Climate
The weather data below is for Sutcliffe, Nevada, which is right on the shore of Pyramid Lake.
| Climate data for Sutcliffe, NV | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 65 (18) |
73 (23) |
76 (24) |
92 (33) |
99 (37) |
103 (39) |
105 (41) |
103 (39) |
98 (37) |
90 (32) |
79 (26) |
73 (23) |
105 (41) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 44.3 (6.8) |
47.7 (8.7) |
55.2 (12.9) |
61.5 (16.4) |
70.0 (21.1) |
79.8 (26.6) |
88.8 (31.6) |
87.4 (30.8) |
78.5 (25.8) |
65.5 (18.6) |
53.2 (11.8) |
45.0 (7.2) |
64.7 (18.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 29.0 (−1.7) |
31.2 (−0.4) |
35.8 (2.1) |
40.0 (4.4) |
47.5 (8.6) |
55.4 (13.0) |
63.3 (17.4) |
62.8 (17.1) |
55.3 (12.9) |
45.2 (7.3) |
36.3 (2.4) |
29.6 (−1.3) |
44.3 (6.8) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 9 (−13) |
−4 (−20) |
10 (−12) |
22 (−6) |
28 (−2) |
— | 46 (8) |
43 (6) |
29 (−2) |
14 (−10) |
14 (−10) |
−8 (−22) |
−8 (−22) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.35 (34) |
0.76 (19) |
0.70 (18) |
0.44 (11) |
0.63 (16) |
0.56 (14) |
0.17 (4.3) |
0.18 (4.6) |
0.26 (6.6) |
0.46 (12) |
0.85 (22) |
0.95 (24) |
7.31 (185.5) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 2.0 (5.1) |
1.3 (3.3) |
0.7 (1.8) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.3 (0.76) |
0.9 (2.3) |
5.5 (14.02) |
| Source: http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?nv7953 | |||||||||||||
Water Quality
Pyramid Lake's water quality is very important because of the special fish living there. Also, the Lake Tahoe area is where the Truckee River starts. Because of this, many studies have been done on the lake's water quality.
Scientists use computer models to study how different land uses affect the water in the Truckee River Basin. They look at things like nitrogen, phosphates, and dissolved solids. These studies help make decisions that improve the lake's water quality and help the plants and animals living there.
One concern is mercury, which enters the lake from the Truckee River. The lake's saltiness has increased over time, and its pH level is around 9. The water temperature can range from near freezing to over 20 °C (68 °F).
Pyramid Lake in Movies
Pyramid Lake has been used as a filming location for movies!
- In 1965, it was used to represent the Sea of Galilee in the biblical film, The Greatest Story Ever Told.
- Also, part of the 1961 movie The Misfits was filmed nearby.
See also
In Spanish: Lago Pirámide para niños
