Future of Beaver Dam remains unclear

Tuesday, April 12, 2005 | 8:43 a.m.

While it took less than three months to drain a man-made reservoir about 170 miles northeast of Las Vegas, the future of Beaver Dam is still unclear, state officials said.

Nevada Department of Wildlife officials breached the dam in January after heavy winter rains and flooding occurred in Southern Nevada. By April 6 the Schroeder Reservoir had been safely drained without damage downstream.

The dam, near the Nevada-Utah border, threatened downstream communities such as Mesquite -- where 40 homes were inundated by floodwaters in January -- and Littlefield, Ariz., said Geoff Schneider of the department's Las Vegas office.

By breaching the dam, officials allowed water to drain slowly from the reservoir, rather than having the dam's earthen bank burst.

A summer thunderstorm on top of the heavy winter rains could have caused further downstream damage.

What will happen next with the dam at Beaver Dam State Park depends on economics, public comments and a plan, Schneider said.

"It will be a public process," Schneider said, although no dates have been set for public hearings.

Trails and picnic areas at the state park are still open, but no one is sure if the reservoir will be replaced. State officials estimate it could cost $10 million to rebuild the dam.

"I was a little shocked," long-time Southern Nevada fishing guide Karen Jones said on hearing the dam was gone. A fishing guide for 22 years, Jones said if the dam is replaced, it should be made of concrete.

"If there was a choice between saving fish or people, they did the right thing," Jones said.

The earthen dam was built in 1960, forming Schroeder Reservoir, a cold water spot for trout and a popular camping and hiking area.

After this year's winter storms, water flowed over the top of the dam and officials saw water seeping through the dam's face.

A lightweight track excavator was flown to the dam by a Nevada Army National Guard Blackhawk helicopter on Jan. 20, and the first hole was punched Jan. 24, wildlife department engineer Mark Fraga said. A heavier excavator was flown to the dam on March 31 to complete the breach.