Lahontan Dam
Encyclopedia
The Lahontan Dam is a dam
situated on the Carson River
in the Carson Desert
between Carson City
, Nevada
and Fallon
, Nevada
in the United States
. Its impoundment is known as the Lahontan Reservoir
or Lake Lahontan. It is currently operated by the Truckee-Carson Irrigation District
.
The Lahontan Dam was built by the Bureau of Reclamation as part of the Newlands Project
. It is an earthen structure, 162 ft (49.4 m) high by 1700 ft (518.2 m) long and contains 733000 cu yd (560,418.7 m³) of fill. When it was completed in 1915, it was the largest earth-fill dam in the United States.
The primary purpose of the dam is to impound water for irrigation
use. The site also includes hydroelectric generators with a total capacity of 4,000 kilowatts.
, was built for the workers. Water distribution for irrigation began in 1916 and in the same year the project was renamed to the Newlands Project.
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
situated on the Carson River
Carson River
The Carson River is a northwestern Nevada river that empties into the Carson Sink, an endorheic basin. The main stem of the river is long....
in the Carson Desert
Carson Desert
The Carson Desert is a desert in the Lahontan Basin and the desert valley of the Churchill County desert region which receives an average annual precipitation. The desert is the low valley area between the adjacent mountain ranges, while the larger watershed includes the interior slopes of the...
between Carson City
Carson City, Nevada
The Consolidated Municipality of Carson City is the capital of the state of Nevada. The words Consolidated Municipality refer to a series of changes in 1969 which abolished Ormsby County and merged all the settlements contained within its borders into Carson City. Since that time Carson City has...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
and Fallon
Fallon, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 7,536 people, 3,004 households, and 1,877 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,474.1 people per square mile . There were 3,336 housing units at an average density of 1,095.2 per square mile...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Its impoundment is known as the Lahontan Reservoir
Lake Lahontan (reservoir)
Modern Lake Lahontan is a reservoir on the Carson River in northwest Nevada in the United States. It is formed by the Lahontan Dam and is located between Fallon, Nevada and Carson City, Nevada. The flows from the Carson River is augmented by diversions from the Truckee River...
or Lake Lahontan. It is currently operated by the Truckee-Carson Irrigation District
Truckee-Carson Irrigation District
The Truckee-Carson Irrigation District is a political subdivision of the State of Nevada, which operates dams at Lake Tahoe, on the Truckee River and Lake Lahontan as well as of canals and of drains in support of agriculture in Lyon County and Churchill County.Diversion of water by the TCID from...
.
The Lahontan Dam was built by the Bureau of Reclamation as part of the Newlands Project
Newlands Reclamation Act
The Reclamation Act of 1902 is a United States federal law that funded irrigation projects for the arid lands of 20 states in the American West....
. It is an earthen structure, 162 ft (49.4 m) high by 1700 ft (518.2 m) long and contains 733000 cu yd (560,418.7 m³) of fill. When it was completed in 1915, it was the largest earth-fill dam in the United States.
The primary purpose of the dam is to impound water for irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
use. The site also includes hydroelectric generators with a total capacity of 4,000 kilowatts.
History
Construction began as part of the Truckee-Carson Project in 1911 and Lahontan City, a company townCompany town
A company town is a town or city in which much or all real estate, buildings , utilities, hospitals, small businesses such as grocery stores and gas stations, and other necessities or luxuries of life within its borders are owned by a single company...
, was built for the workers. Water distribution for irrigation began in 1916 and in the same year the project was renamed to the Newlands Project.