Lahontan State Recreation Area
Encyclopedia
Lahontan State Recreation Area is a state park
unit of Nevada
, USA, surrounding Lake Lahontan
on the Carson River
. Lahontan became a Nevada State Recreation Area on July 1, 1971. The recreation area is open all year, and includes the Lahontan Dam
, a 162 feet (49.4 m), 1700 feet (518.2 m) dam completed in 1915.
in 1905, the Lahontan Dam
was constructed along the Carson River between Fallon
and Carson City. The reservoir was named after ancient Lake Lahontan
which covered much of Nevada during the ice age
. Submerged beneath the water were parts of stagecoach routes which existed during the 1800s including Williams Station, the scene of the Battle of Williams Station
, a minor skirmish during the Paiute War
.
is located near the dam. The other entrance is off of U.S. Route 95
in the town of Silver Springs
. The main activities at the park include boating, water skiing, fishing and camping. Primitive camping is allowed on all beaches except day-use areas and boat ramps. Silver Springs Beach campground #7 has developed campground facilities.
The park is located about 45 miles (72.4 km) northeast of Nevada's capital, Carson City, and 18 miles (29 km) west of Fallon. A corridor known as Carson River Ranches connects Lahontan with Fort Churchill State Historic Park
.
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
unit of 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...
, USA, surrounding Lake Lahontan
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...
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....
. Lahontan became a Nevada State Recreation Area on July 1, 1971. The recreation area is open all year, and includes the Lahontan Dam
Lahontan Dam
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...
, a 162 feet (49.4 m), 1700 feet (518.2 m) dam completed in 1915.
History
As part of the Newlands Reclamation ActNewlands 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....
in 1905, the Lahontan Dam
Lahontan Dam
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...
was constructed along the Carson River between 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...
and Carson City. The reservoir was named after ancient Lake Lahontan
Lake Lahontan
Lake Lahontan was a large endorheic Pleistocene lake of modern northwestern Nevada that extended into northeastern California and southern Oregon...
which covered much of Nevada during the ice age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
. Submerged beneath the water were parts of stagecoach routes which existed during the 1800s including Williams Station, the scene of the Battle of Williams Station
Battle of Williams Station
The Battle of Williams Station was a minor skirmish during the Pyramid Lake War of 1860. The fight took place following the defeat of Major William Ormsby at the First Battle of Pyramid Lake as U.S. Volunteers entered the war.-Battle:...
, a minor skirmish during the Paiute War
Paiute War
The Paiute War, also known as the Pyramid Lake War, Washoe Indian War and the Pah Ute War, was an armed conflict between Northern Paiutes allied with the Shoshone and the Bannock against the United States. It took place in 1860 in the vicinity of Pyramid Lake in the Utah Territory, now within...
.
The park
Most of the park lies below 4000 ft (1,219.2 m) in elevation, and is dominated by high desert sagebrush, although cottonwoods and willow trees can be found along the shore of the lake. The reservoir features 69 miles (111 km) of shoreline and 10000 acres (4,046.9 ha) of water when full. The park is accessed through two primary entrances. One entrance along U.S. Route 50U.S. Route 50
U.S. Route 50 is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching just over from Ocean City, Maryland on the Atlantic Ocean to West Sacramento, California. Until 1972, when it was replaced by Interstate Highways west of the Sacramento area, it extended to San Francisco, near...
is located near the dam. The other entrance is off of U.S. Route 95
U.S. Route 95
U.S. Route 95 is a north–south U.S. highway in the western United States. Unlike many other US highways, it has not seen deletion or replacement on most of its length by an encroaching Interstate highway corridor, due to its mostly rural course...
in the town of Silver Springs
Silver Springs, Nevada
Silver Springs is a census-designated place in Lyon County, Nevada, United States at the intersection of U.S. 50 and U.S. 95A. The population was 4,708 at the 2000 census. Lahontan Reservoir, Lahontan State Recreation Area and historic Fort Churchill State Historic Park are all located nearby...
. The main activities at the park include boating, water skiing, fishing and camping. Primitive camping is allowed on all beaches except day-use areas and boat ramps. Silver Springs Beach campground #7 has developed campground facilities.
The park is located about 45 miles (72.4 km) northeast of Nevada's capital, Carson City, and 18 miles (29 km) west of Fallon. A corridor known as Carson River Ranches connects Lahontan with Fort Churchill State Historic Park
Fort Churchill State Historic Park
Fort Churchill State Historic Park is a Nevada state park in Lyon County, Nevada, in the United States. Located south of the town of Silver Springs, it is in the Central Nevada Region of Nevada State Parks, and is one of seven National Historic Landmarks in the state of Nevada. The site is one...
.