Lake Lahontan
“Human beings have made their home in Black Rock-High Rock country for at least 10,000 years...Honor their history and spirit as you tread lightly on this land, ensuring another 10,000 years to come.”
A seemingly endless expanse of desert was once under water
Each year, thousands of adventurers flock to the Black Rock Desert as a blank slate upon which they can imprint their magic. But this desert isn’t a tabula rasa — it’s a land rich with history and thriving flora, fauna, and people. And 12,700 years ago, it was completely under water.
Lake Lahontan was once one of the largest bodies of water in North America. During the last ice age — the Pleistocene Era — the lake had a surface area of over 8,500 square miles and stretched across Nevada and into California and Oregon. Climate change around the end of the Pleistocene led to increased evaporation as the temperatures warmed. About 9,000 years ago, Lake Lahontan was mostly dried up. All that remains of it today are Pyramid Lake and Walker Lake, both in Nevada. Thanks to conservation efforts, the Lahontan cutthroat trout has been reintroduced to these lakes after the species was deemed extinct during the 20th century.
The Great Basin Desert has been home to populations of humans for at least 10,000 years. According to the Friends of the Black Rock-High Rock, “The original peoples of the Great Basin lived by foraging and experienced long periods of relative stability. Archeological study speaks to the flexibility and resilience of their lifeways and a mystical connection with all of the plants, animals and the cosmos.” About 7,000 to 4,500 years ago, the warming climate created a challenging environment for these communities. Early native communities took root along rivers and lakes as the climate stabilized.
This high desert region has been home to five native nations. Four of them shared one basic linguistic form, while the fifth spoke an entirely different language. To the southeast lived the Southern Paiutes, to the east were the Goshutes and the Shoshones, and in the northwest were the Northern Paiute. A smaller, unrelated nation were the Washos centered near Lake Tahoe.
To learn more about the people of the Black Rock-High Rock, visit these resources:
