Warren Returns from Retirement to Become Chief of Fisheries

“Staying at home just wasn't all that fun,” Warren said. “I missed people at NDOW.”

Warren, who has held many positions at NDOW, first began working at the Verdi Hatchery in 1965 while he was a student at the University of Nevada, Reno. After earning his degree, he continued working at the hatchery before taking on the Washoe Lake Study, funded by Washoe County. Since the study, Warren's career has included stream survey work in the western region, followed by a position as the Washoe County biologist focusing on Truckee River issues and eventually as a staff specialist in the Reno headquarters in 1999.

Warren fondly remembers the many years he spent with NDOW. He said that the best time he had was when he was able to spend most of his time outdoors conducting stream surveys. He also enjoyed introducing fish in waters that didn't have any and then returning a few years later to find a flourishing population that anglers were able to enjoy.

“Nothing beats the fishing derbies that we host for the kids,” Warren said. “They would just scream with excitement because they caught a fish for the first time. As you get older it's hard to find that kind of excitement and it's so rewarding to see it in children as they hold up the fish they just caught.”

Warren's biggest priority as chief is to make sure that Nevada anglers have abundant fishable waters.

“One of my goals is to develop new fishable waters throughout the state,” Warren said. “At the same time one the biggest challenges facing us is loss of fishable waters due to invasive species and drought. We need to focus on the prevention of the spread of quagga mussels as well as any new nuisance species that we don't even know about it. Keeping the waters fishable is our biggest priority.”

Warren's predecessor as chief and current NDOW Deputy Director Rich Haskins praises Warren's talents as a biologist and chief.

“In his previous life as a staff biologist Mark was the closest thing to a deputy chief we could have,” Haskins said. “I have all the confidence in the world in him.”