Ruby Mountains

EXPLORE THE MAP How We Work Nevada

Overview

Sometimes called the Swiss Alps of Nevada, the Ruby Mountains serve as a majestic backdrop to the town of Elko. The state’s largest mule deer population calls the Rubies home, as well as the threatened Lahontan cutthroat trout. The landscape boasts beautiful peaks, wetland marshes, native trout streams, and abundant wildlife. But drought, oil and gas leasing, climate change, and nonnative fish stocking are threatening the health of this critical ecosystem. Trout Unlimited works to protect this rugged landscape and the wildlife and communities that love and depend on it.

Ruby Mountains_USFS

Ruby Mountains. (USFS)

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Lahontan cutthroat trout. (Joshua Duplechian/Trout Unlimited)

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Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge (Zoe Bommarito/Trout Unlimited)

Recovering Lahontan Cutthroat Trout

(Joshua Duplechian/Trout Unlimited)

Native to the Lahontan Basin of northern Nevada, Lahontans are derived from one of the oldest lineages of cutthroat trout, dating as far back as 10 million years ago. Only 71 self-sustaining Lahontan populations remain in approximately 10.5 percent of their historical habitat. In the Rubies, TU works to monitor populations and further protect Lahontan cutthroat habitat.

Protecting the Rubies from Speculative Oil and Gas Leasing

Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge (Zoe Bommarito/Trout Unlimited)

Trout Unlimited and our partners are working with lawmakers, such as U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), to protect the Ruby Mountains from irresponsible oil and gas leasing practices. The proposed Ruby Mountains Protection Act would withdraw approximately 450,000 acres of National Forest System district land from any eligibility for oil and gas leasing. The bill would also expand protection to the Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge.