Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2005 | 9:38 a.m.
State officials punched an 8-foot hole in Beaver Dam to drain floodwaters into a popular fishing area on the Nevada-Utah border after heavy rains and runoff posed a threat to public safety.
The Nevada Department of Wildlife flew a lightweight excavator to the dam by a Nevada Army National Guard Blackhawk helicopter on Thursday.
The dam was breached late Monday to allow water to gradually flow out of the reservoir, Mark Fraga, a wildlife department engineer, said.
The area around the dam's outlet has been sandbagged to control water releases flowing into Schroeder Reservoir at Beaver Dam State Park.
The dam forms a reservoir that is the heart of Beaver Dam State Park.
Beaver Dam, 178 miles north of Las Vegas and 28 miles northeast of Caliente, formed Schroeder Reservoir in 1960, when the Nevada Division of Wildlife built the dam.
The reservoir was originally filled to a depth of 48 feet, but silt flowed into the lake over the years replacing 31 feet of water and leaving 17 feet of water on top of the silt before the flood.
Hot springs feed the reservoir naturally, but the rainfall in Lincoln County earlier this month caused water to seep from the dam's face after it spilled over the top.
Water draining further north in Lincoln County caught the attention of state officials.
Although the dam was not considered in immediate danger of failing, the state engineer's office was concerned enough to order the breach.
No flooding problems are expected downstream, and the dam eventually will be knocked down to the level of the sediments, Fraga said.
"The dam's future is uncertain," Wildlife Department spokesman Geoff Schneider said. "It has already exceeded its original life expectancy."
The dam and subsequent reservoir attracted those interested in hiking, picnicking and fishing, which boosted tourism in Lincoln County, Schneider said.
Trout fishing at the lake is popular, but if the dam is not restored, the reservoir will dry up.
The Nevada Department of Wildlife is the state agency responsible for restoring and managing fish and wildlife resources and promoting boat safety on the state's waters.
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