When you think about human greed and shameless consumption in Nevada, the first image that comes to mind is the Vegas Strip, but there is something even more loon-ey. Hawthorne’s Loon Festival has been cancelled because most of the migrating loons, who used to enjoy a stopover at Walker Lake before continuing on their journey, have stopped stopping-over.

That’s because Walker Lake is drying up, and so the loons can’t all enjoy their usual fishy feast of small tui chub. The few loons who did take pity on the festival organizers and touched-down on Walker Lake were not sufficient to merit a festival, and so the Hawthorne’s Loon Festival stands cancelled.

So now they’ve turned it into Walker Lake Education Day - which was held on Saturday, April 25, as a new family event designed highlight the multi-agency/organization effort to save Walker Lake. More details here - http://www.walkerlake.org/

Hawthorne is about 95 miles southeast of Reno. While Reno motels and hotels are now booming even in the spring and summer, and the area morphs from a winter ski resort to a year-round entertainment zone with casinos and other attractions, the environmental impact of all the conspicous consumption is being felt in surrounding small towns like Hawthorne. All the farming which is necessary to feed the boom in Reno further adds to the water consumption and habitat destruction.

Apparently, the water level of Walker Lake last year was at 3,930 feet above sea level - the lowest ever. As a result, the concentration of impurities in the water is very strong, and it is killing off young and small fish. The big adults like the Lahontan cutthroat trout  managed to survive, but the just hatched eggs and smaller fish - which the loons love - were all decimated.

And it’s not just about fish and loons. Even Barge tours on the lake this summer may be replaced by kayaks because of low water levels. Which just about kills any leftover remnants of Hawthorne’s tourism industry.

Next time you enjoy winter vacations in Reno, spare a thought - or two - for the destruction of the habitat and the economy of Hawthorne. 

Photos courtesy & copyrights WalkerLake.org

Posted on April 28th, 2009 by Thomas
Filed under: Festivals