THE FRIENDS OF PYRAMID LAKE

The charter meeting of the Friends of Pyramid Lake (FOPL), organized by Assemblyman Ted Bedrosian, took place on August 12, 1980 at the Center for Religion and Life in Reno. Although there appeared to be support for such an organization, no further action was taken to organize a group until two years later. FOPL was incorporated on May 20, 1982. The purpose was to support and work in concert with the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe to protect and preserve for future generations the unique resources of Pyramid Lake and its environs and to bring public attention to the unique value of Pyramid Lake and its environs through educational programs. A non-profit corporation, the membership of FOPL is composed of a diverse group of concerned citizens. FOPL is governed by a 14-member board of trustees, which includes two members of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribal Council.

In an undated position paper, the FOPL set forth their goals:

1. To secure enough water to maintain a lake level which will provide a viable environment for the endangered cui-ui, the threatened Lahontan cutthroat trout, and the migratory bird populations which nest on Anahoe Island;

2. To prevent any further deterioration of water quality; and

3. To complete the legal framework which will provide for the protection of Pyramid Lake and of other communities and values dependent on the Truckee River system for water supplies.

FOPL has sponsored fund-raising and consciousness-raising events to call attention to Pyramid Lake. They have lobbied on important water issues impacting the lake and joined as an amicus curiae in water litigation. They've also formed formal alliances with like-minded organizations such as the Save Mono Lake Committee and Friends of Mt. Rose to publicize their efforts.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

The records of the Friends of Pyramid Lake were donated to the Special Collections Department by member and former President, Dr. Elmer Rusco, in 1994 and 1999. The collection dates from 1968 to 1997 (bulk dates 1982-1997) and consists of 3.5 cubic feet of materials. There are no restrictions on their use.

The records of the FOPL consist of administrative files, articles about Pyramid Lake, files related to similar organizations, subject files, and newspaper clippings. A few photographs were found within administrative and other files; they have been transferred to the Special Collections photographic archives.

The administrative files, Series I, include minutes, agendas, position papers, correspondence, bylaws, board of trustees membership lists, reports, fact sheets and maps, and special events files. The bulk of this series is contained within folders which were simply marked "FOPL" by Elmer Rusco; they contain agendas, rough minutes, and correspondence mixed together. There is a small subseries of correspondence, including copies of letters sent by Rusco as president. All financial material is contained within those same files and is in the form of reports to board members. The series originally contained copies of some issues of Cui-ui, the FOPL newsletter, but they have been transferred to the serials section of the Special Collections book stacks.

Dr. Rusco and several others published a number of articles about Pyramid Lake and water issues; copies are included in Series II.

FOPL maintained contacts with many other organizations concerned with the environment or specific geographic areas. Series III documents those interactions and often includes copies of their newsletters. Nevada-related newsletters were transferred to the serials section of the Special Collections. Other materials found within the files include correspondence and flyers.

The bulk of Series IV, alphabetical subject files, relates to water issues and conferences. FOPL sponsored a series of water forums; these files include papers presented at some of those events. Other materials include documentation of Nevada Senator Harry Reid's water legislation, information about the Lahontan wetlands, and the negotiated water settlement.

The last series contains clippings of articles related to FOPL, the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, and related water topics.

Processed by: Susan Searcy and Rebecca Richards
Date: May 12, 1998
Revised: July 9, 1999

The records of the Friends of Pyramid Lake are organized into the following series:

I - Administrative

1. Minutes, Agendas, Correspondence

2. Correspondence

3. Miscellaneous Administrative

4. Sponsored Events

II - Articles

III - Organizations

IV - Subject Files

V - Clippings

Series I. Administrative. 1982-1997. 1 cubic foot.

This series includes agendas, minutes (usually in rough note format), correspondence, lists of members and board members, and files on special events organized by FOPL. The bulk of this series, Subseries 1, contains mixed agendas, minutes, and correspondence. The folders are dated and in chronological order but the contents of each have been left in Rusco's original order and are not strictly chronological.

Box 1

94-54/I/1 - MINUTES, AGENDAS, CORRESPONDENCE

94-54/I/1/1 Minutes, agendas, correspondence, bylaws, position paper [hereafter labeled as "FOPL"]. 1983-1987.

94-54/I/1/2 FOPL. Pre-1986.

94-54/I/1/3 Friends reorganization. 1986.

94-54/I/1/4-5 FOPL. 1987.

94-54/I/1/6 Position statement. 1987.

94-54/I/1/7-8 FOPL. 1988.

94-54/I/1/9 FOPL. 1989.

94-54/I/1/10 FOPL. 1990.

94-54/I/1/11 FOPL. 1991.

94-54/I/1/12 FOPL. 1992.

94-54/I/1/13 FOPL. 1993.

94-54/I/1/14 FOPL. 1987-1988; 1993-1997.

94-54/I/1/15 Financial reports. 1987-1994.

94-54/I/1/15 Advisory Committee. 1989-1993.

94-54/I/2 - CORRESPONDENCE

94-54/1/2/1a High Country News correspondence.

4-54/I/2/1b Pacific Discovery article correspondence. 1987.

94-54/I/2/2 Reskin, Aaron. Correspondence on land exchange. 1992.

94-54/I/2/3 Running, John. Correspondence. 1989.

94-54/I/2/4 Rusco, Elmer. Correspondence. 1988-1991.

94-54/I/2/5 Correspondence. 1991-1997.

94-54/I/2/6 Gary Cox, photographer. 1991.

94-54/I/2/7 Robert Hamilton correspondence. 1989.

94-54/I/2/8 Martin M. Sheldon. 1972-1994.

94-54/I/2/9 Dick Woodard. 1993.

94-54/I/2/10 Omer Stewart memorial gifts correspondence. 1992.

94-54/I/3 - MISCELLANEOUS ADMINISTRATIVE

94-54/I/3/1 Membership rolls. 1982, 1983.

94-54/I/3/2 Insurance. 1985-1986.

94-54/I/3/3 Fact sheets, articles, event fliers.

94-54/I/3/4 Maps/mileage, Pyramid Lake.

94-54/I/3/5 Pyramid Lake fishing, camping, hunting, boating regulations. 1990-1996.

94-54/I/3/6 Pyramid Lake bird check list. 1995.

94-54/I/4 - SPONSORED EVENTS

94-54/I/4/1a-b Essay/poster contest. 1992, 1993.

94-54/I/4/2 State Fair. 1987-1988.

94-54/I/4/3 Triathlon. 1988.

94-54/I/4/4 Triathlon. 1989.

94-54/I/4/5 Triathlon. 1990.

94-54/I/4/6-7 Triathlon. 1992.

94-54/I/4/8a-b Triathlon. 1993; 1994-1997.

94-54/I/4/9 Triathlon recipes.

94-54/I/4/10 Trout Barbeque. 1988.

94-54/I/4/11 Photo contest manual.

94-54/I/4/12 Photo contests. 1987-1994.

Series II. Articles. 1987-1994. 11 folders.

This series contains published articles about Pyramid Lake. Several were written by Dr. Elmer Rusco, professor emeritus of the Political Science Department, University of Nevada, Reno. Arranged alphabetically by author or sponsoring organization.

Box 2

94-54/II/1 Environmental Defense Fund report. "Least Cost Water Supply Planning in the Truckee and Carson River Basins." 1987.

94-54/II/2 Marshall-Nadel, Nathalie. Earth Mandala. 1987.

94-54/II/3 Rhodes, Cathy. Statement: "The Lake is Not Turning Over." Aug. 1992.

94-54/II/4 Rusco, Elmer. Article for Save Mono Lake newsletter. 1989.

94-54/II/5 Rusco. "The Truckee-Carson-Pyramid Lake Water Rights Settlement Act and Pyramid Lake." 1991.

94-54/II/6 Rusco. Fallon speech on history of water conflicts. 1991.

94-54/II/7 Water Market Update.

94-54/II/8 Zackery, Sabrina. Infinity. 1st. ed., vol. 2. March 1991.

94-54/II/9 Pyramid Lake articles.

94-54/II/10 Berklay, Paula. "The Benefits of the negotiated Settlement for the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe." n.d.

94-54/II/11 "Newlands Project Future Operations and Maintenance Survey Report." BLM. 1994.

Series III. Organizations. 1983-1996. .75 cubic feet.

The Friends of Pyramid Lake corresponded with and belonged to many environmental organizations. This series represents correspondence, flyers and publications from those groups. Some of the folders, such as those for Lahontan Wetlands Coalition, contain significant information on the topic of water for wetlands, a subject of great concern to the FOPL. Arranged alphabetically by name of organization. Newsletters from these groups have been removed and filed in the serials section of the Special Collections stacks.

Box 2

III/1a Audubon Society.

III/1b Bureau of Water Quality Planning. Nonpoint Source Program. Newsletter. 1994.

III/2 Clementine.

III/3a Coalition for a Negotiated Water Settlement.

III/3b Coalition for Nevada's Wildlife. Records. 1992-1996.

III/3c Emigrant Trails Association. National Conservation Area. 1991.

III/4 Environmental Defense Fund.

III/5 Environmental Leadership.

III/6-7 Environmental Leadership. Earth Day. 1989-1991.

III/8 Friends of Mt. Rose.

III/9 Friends of Nevada Wilderness. 1986-1991.

III/10 League to Save Lake Tahoe.

III/11-13 Lahontan Wetlands Coalition.

III/14 Mono Lake Committee. 1983-1989.

III/15 Nature Conservancy.

III/16 Nevada Recycling Coalition.

III/17 Nevada Water Resources Association.

III/18 Oregon High Desert Study Group.

III/19 Pine Cone Ball.

III/20 Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe. Regulations [for] Fishing, Camping, Boating, Hunting. 1988-1989.

III/21 Sierra Club.

III/22 Tahoe Rim Trail.

III/23 Truckee River Yacht Club.

Series IV. Subject Files. ca 1987-1993. 1.25 cubic feet.

This series contains topical information of interest to the FOPL, chiefly water issues. Of significance are the files related to several water conferences: the Nevada Water Conferences, 1987-1992; and the Water in the Balance Forum, 1987. Those files contain routine administrative information as well as typescripts of papers presented at the conferences. Also of interest are files on Nevada Senator Harry Reid's water and wetlands legislation. Arranged alphabetically.

Box 2

IV/1-4 Environmentalism: pamphlets, articles, flyers.

Box 3

IV/5a Lahontan Valley wetlands.

IV/5b Legislation. 1991-1993.

IV/6-7 Negotiated settlement.

IV/8 Nevada Water Conference. 1987.

IV/9 Nevada Water Conferences. 1989-1991.

IV/10-11 Nevada Water Conference. 1992.

IV/12 Nevada Water Conference paper: Ian C. Watson and Ernest O. Kartinen, "Application of Demineralization Technology to Potable Water Quality Problems." 1992.

IV/13 Nevada Water Conference paper: Thomas S. Maddock, Walter G. Hines, "Meeting Future Public Water Supply Needs: A Southwest Perspective." 1992.

IV/14-18a Nevada Senator Harry Reid's water legislation.

IV/14/18b Pyramid Lake fishing.

IV/19 "Silver State Water and Power Project" application for permit to appropriate waters for the State of Nevada. [1987].

IV/20a Stillwater dedication. 1990.

IV/20b "That was Happy Life," film by Joanne Peden.

IV/21 Washington State water.

IV/22-23 Water.

IV/24-25 Water in the Balance Forum. 1989.

IV/26 Water in the Balance Forum papers: David Yarda, Roland Westergard, and Joe Ely. 1987.

IV/27 Water in the Balance Forum paper: Joe Ely proceedings. 1987.

IV/28 Water in the Balance Forum paper: David Hornbeck. 1987.

IV/29 Water in the Balance tapes. 1987.

IV/30 Wetlands - Washoe County.

Series V. Newspaper Clippings. 1968-1997. .25 cubic feet.

This series contains clippings on topics of interest to the Friends of Pyramid Lake. Arranged chronologically.

Box 4

V/1 1968-1979.

V/2 1982-1987.

V/3 1988-1989.

V/4 1990-1992.

V/5 1993-1994; n.d.

V/6 1970s.

V/7 1994.

V/8 1995.

V/9 1996.

V/10 1997.