Wednesday, April 15, 1998 | 9:17 a.m.
PAULA DEL GIUDICE has been an outdoors freelance writer, author and photographer for 13 years. Her column appears Wednesdays.
CARP FOUND found to have high levels of PCBs and DDT in their tissues. Plutonium found in the water. Almost every week there are stories reporting new contaminants in Lake Mead -- source of our drinking water.
The Nevada Wildlife Federation, long interested in Nevada's water quality issues, has put together a panel of experts who will address these issues. The discussion is slated Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at the West Sahara Library, 3700 West Sahara ( just west of Fort Apache).
Allen Biaggi, deputy director of the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection in Carson City over Nevada's water pollution control, mining regulation and reclamation, and air pollution control programs, will give an overview of the Las Vegas Wash and Lake Mead water quality issues. He will also present an overview of the Water Quality Forum.
Dr. James LaBounty, the manager of the Ecological Research and Investigations Group for the Bureau of Reclamation in Denver, will talk about Lake Mead's water quality and the Las Vegas Wash intrusion (a.k.a. the "plume").
Over the last nine years, LaBounty has focused his research on the Boulder Basin of Lake Mead, because it is the source of water supply for 22 million users and a location of significant water recreation.
Kay Brothers will provide an overview of the status of endocrine disruption in carp and perchlorates. Brothers is the director of the Southern Nevada Water Authority Resources department.
Local environmental activist Jeff Van Ee will provide an overview and status of the Water Quality Citizen's Advisory Committee.
Following the overviews provided by the panel of experts, there will be time to ask questions.
* LOON FESTIVAL: The Annual Walker Lake Loon Festival is scheduled for this weekend. The festival celebrates the annual return to Walker Lake of loons that use the water for a stopover on their migration route. Free boat tours are scheduled all day Saturday from Sportsman's Beach. Other activities are planned. For more information, call Lou Thompson, 573-2581.
* TOUR D' SPRAWL: The Tour d'Sprawl, a bike ride, rally and picnic in honor of Earth Day 1998, is scheduled Saturday in Las Vegas. Cyclists will meet at 10 a.m. at the Park and Ride site on Highway 95 north of the Ann Road interchange. The picnic and rally will begin at about noon at the Gilcrease Bird Sanctuary on Racel Road. The purpose of the ride is to celebrate Earth Day and to remind everyone how much urban sprawl can impact the environment and to remind community leaders they need to act to protect the environment. For more information, call 732-7750.
* WILDLIFE BANQUET: April 24 is the deadline for purchasing tickets for the Nevada Wildlife Federation's 1998 Conservation Achievement Program Banquet May 2 at the Nellis Officers Club. Individuals and organizations who have made exceptional achievements in conservation will be honored. For more information, call 645-5423.
* BIG GAME APS: Applications to hunt big game must be received by the Hunt Application Office in Fallon by 5 p.m. Monday to be included in the drawing process for big game tags this year. Applications delivered to Nevada Division of Wildlife offices will not be accepted. For more information, call NDOW at 486-5127.
archive
