Tuesday July 7, 2026
PBS Abridged —
A speckled brown and pink trout darted into the crystal clear water of Tahoe from a blue five-gallon bucket—the first of thousands in the largest reintroduction of native fish to the Lake Tahoe Basin.
Through partnership between the Washoe Tribe, its environmental protection department and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Lahontan cutthroat trout is slowly returning to its natural habitat.
Cale Pete, tribal member and environmental director at the Washoe Environmental Protection Department, spoke to a crowd gathered Tuesday at Lake Tahoe about the historical importance of the species and its sustenance for the Washoe people.
“This historic day will be the first time for this kind of large-scale release,” he said.
After a blessing from a tribal elder, Pete invited Washoe elders and youth to release 25 of the cutthroat trout from buckets from the shore before releasing 1,000-2,000 more from the hatchery’s truck.
“To the youth, cherish this moment,” he said. “You’ll be the ones to step up and carry our roles in the future.”