~ for immediate release

   news release  May 23, 2007

Contacts: Jane Tors, Executive Director Public Relations, University of Nevada, Reno 775-784-1880 or jtors@unr.edu
Greg Bortolin, Director of Governmental Relations, Desert Research Institute 775-673-7465 or Greg.Bortolin@dri.edu

All DRI News Releases are available at: http://news.dri.edu/

Walker Basin Project Website Launched
Website provides mechanism for sharing information and encouraging involvement

RENO, Nev.– A website – www.nevada.edu/walker – has been launched to provide an on-going information source about the Walker Basin Project, a comprehensive research and water rights acquisition effort.

“We recognize there is a great deal of interest in this project, and providing access to information is important,” said Karen Grillo, Walker Basin Project Coordinator with the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE). “A benefit of using the web as a primary information source is that it can be accessed by interested citizens living in the basin as well those around the state and beyond.”

The Walker Basin Project is a federally funded project that includes collaborative environmental and economic research conducted by researchers with the Desert Research Institute and the University of Nevada, Reno. It also involves the acquisition of water and water rights from willing sellers under the coordination of the NSHE. As noted on the website, the research will explore the best means by which to get additional water to the lake while maintaining the Basin’s economy and ecosystem.

The background information available on the website includes an overview of the project, maps of the basin, a copy of the authorizing Congressional legislation and a summary of the 10 currently funded research projects. A “Tell Your Story” section invites “those who care about Walker River, Walker Lake, and the valleys and communities that make up the Walker Basin” to “share your memory or perspective in words, photos or both.” Each page on the website includes an email link by which to contact Grillo.

 “The information available on the website is only a starting point,” added Grillo. “As the project moves forward, the website will evolve and grow.”