Table of Contents Preface 1 Introduction 4 1. The Rivers 9 2. The Indians Before and After Contact with the Whites 25 3. Highlights of Exploration, Emigration, Communications and Transportation 32 4. Rivers Encourage the Development of Agriculture, Towns and Cities 47 5. The Rise and Fall of the Comstock Lode and Its Rivals 65 6. Railroads Depend on the Rivers and Forests 71 7. The Chinese Find Gold and Build Railroads 73 8.

An Introduction to Nevada's Water Laws and Water Rights 76 9. Basque Sheepherders in the High Desert Ranges 86 10. The Newlands Project 92 11. The Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe Challenges Derby Dam 95 12. The Alpine Decree 98 13. Lake Tahoe and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) 101 14. The Truckee River Operating Agreement (TROA) 109 15. Walker Lake 111 16.

Nevada Floods 115 17. Notable Men and Women Living Near the Waterways 118 18. Environmental Degradation 136 19. Climate Change and Population Growth 144 20. Looking Toward the Future 153 Conclusion 161 Chronology 165 Appendix 1: Dan De Quille on How the Sinks Came Into Being 171 Appendix 2: Floodplain Protection for the Carson River 173 Appendix 3: Denial of Global Warming 177 Appendix 4: A Note on the Effects of Humidity on Snowpack 179 Chapter Notes 181 Bibliography 192 Index 201.