A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH TO CLIMATE ADAPTATION AND WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT FOR THE PYRAMID LAKE PAIUTE TRIBE

Climate change poses a threat to Native American tribal lands, resources and livelihoods. Many tribes are eager to learn how climatic shifts will affect their water resources. The Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe (PLPT) in Nevada is deeply connected physically, culturally and spiritually to Pyramid Lake, an important ecosystem for the endangered cui-ui fish (Chasmistes cujus) and threatened Lahontan cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki henshawi) which has been historically degraded due to upstream diversions. While PLPT has made substantial gains to stabilize fish populations, rising temperatures associated with climate change could shift the timing of springtime runoff and interfere with natural spawning of these fish. We collaborated with PLPT by exploring the vulnerabilities and resiliencies of tribal water resources in order to propose adaptive management strategies and highlight the tribe’s capacity for climate adaptation. Our engagement with tribal members pointed to “sensitivity to cultural resources”, “water quantity” and “water quality” as three main environmental challenges facing Pyramid Lake. We summarized ecological thresholds of fish spawning from the literature into an informative video for tribal members. We developed a mass-balance hydrologic model in Excel which simulates Pyramid Lake elevation as a function of river flow, precipitation and evapotranspiration. This model allowed us to produce hypothetical projections of lake elevation under various climate change scenarios which can help to inform adaptive management planning. PLPT is a highly resilient tribe with the capacity and collaborative partnerships necessary for climate adaptation. Our research approach provides a useful framework for engagement between tribes and climate scientists.