Lahontan cutthroat trout once swam in 7,000 miles of streams across Nevada, Oregon and California. Now, they occupy just 10 percent of those waterways due to dams, non-native fish, and warming waters.

To help restore cold-water habitat for the fish, the Nevada Department of Wildlife and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife helped buy a piece of land straddling both states called Disaster Peak Ranch. The sprawling property has more than 55 miles of streams relied on by Lahontan cutthroat trout, listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act.

Mike Anderson, a flyfishing guide in Northern Nevada, said Lahontan cutthroat are crucial to the region’s fishing economy.

“They've been in our area for tens of thousands of years,” Anderson said. “So it's very important to have these fish sustain and grow and populate for commerce, for sure, but also just for kind of the overall spirit and nature of our area.”

The ranchland being preserved is also home to greater sage-grouse, mule deer, and the Columbia spotted frog. The Nevada Division of State Lands, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Western Rivers Conservancy were also involved in the collaborative conservation effort.

This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Colorado and KANW in New Mexico, with support from affiliate stations across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.