Valley wetlands a high priority for preservation

Restoration of wetlands along the Carson River from the California border north to its exit from Carson Valley was listed as a high priority in a report released on Thursday.

A new report released this month identifies Nevada's wetlands and ranks them in order of priority based on conservation need. The Nevada Natural Heritage Program, a division within the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, released the report to inform land and natural resource managers about priority wetlands, their locations, rank and the factors that determine priority status.

"This report represents the first ever attempt at comprehensive prioritizing of the state's wetland resources," said Jennifer Newmark, administrator of the Natural Heritage Program. "The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates Nevada wetland losses amounted to 52 percent from 1780 through 1980."

Wetland impacts include wetland resource areas altered by the diversion, channelization or accelerated erosion of waterways, or by draining, dredging, filling or leveling. The report, the 2007 Nevada Priority Wetlands Inventory, identifies 234 wetland areas listed in order of potential concern for adverse impacts.

The 2007 Nevada Priority Wetlands Inventory was prepared for the Nevada Division of State Parks by the Nevada Natural Heritage Program.