The battle to restore the fishery of Walker Lake, Nevada suffered a tragic blow earlier this year with the passing of lead attorney Simeon Herskovits, known throughout the Southwest as “Our Water Warrior.”
Before taking on the Walker Lake issue, Mr. Herskovits won seven court victories in successfully blocking an attempt by Las Vegas to pump groundwater from rural northeast Nevada southward through a 250-mile-long pipeline.
Perhaps his greatest legacy came during the Walker Lake case, in leading the effort to have the State of Nevada recognize its Public Trust obligations throughout all waters in the state.
Mr. Herskovits’ longtime law partner, Iris Thornton, has assembled a strong, experienced, new legal team to continue the discovery phase of the proceeding, with the trial expected afterward.
In many ways the Walker Lake Public Trust trial is Nevada’s version of the battle for Mono Lake. However, there is a big difference. The fledgling Mono Lake Committee was very fortunate to receive legal representation on a pro bono (no fee) basis. The Walker Lake Working Group and Mineral County have to pay their attorneys. This has proven to be a daunting task for a small, local citizens group located in one of Nevada’s most sparsely populated counties.
Donations are very much needed to restore a fishery which has been a traditional source of sustenance for local indigenous people and historically accounted for half of the local economy.
Click here to donate to the Walker Lake Working Group
Top photo courtesy of KRNV News.