V-Line Canal in open space Nevada
CARSON CITY, Nevada. - Due to unprecedented snowpack in the Carson River Basin, the Bureau of Reclamation and Truckee-Carson Irrigation District are proactively implementing flood operations and maximizing water storage in Lahontan Reservoir. The two agencies have been implementing flood operations since March 6 to manage inflow into the Basin. Flood operations have, and continue to be, closely coordinated with the City of Fallon, Churchill County, Nevada Department of Transportation, Nevada Department of Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Navy Base in Fallon.
“Our number one goal is public safety and preventing flooding; second is to maximize storage in Lahontan Reservoir,” said Reclamation’s Lahontan Basin Area Manager Jack Worsley.
Reclamation partnered with TCID and Churchill County in March to proactively implement projects to help manage incoming flows and increased releases from Lahontan Reservoir. These actions included strengthening the embankments and increasing the V-Line Canal capacity by an additional 1,000 cubic-feet-per-second, as well as constructing an additional weir on the V-Line Canal to evacuate water to Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge, bypassing the City of Fallon. A 5-foot embankment was also constructed around the Carson Lake and Pasture to allow for increase flood water storage and prevent flooding around the Carson Lake and Pasture. Much of these efforts were funded by Churchill County.
In early May, Reclamation and TCID made the operational decision to begin filling Lahontan Reservoir to maximize stored water. This approach was successfully implemented in 2017, 2018, and 2019 when Lahontan Reservoir storage was filled to 304,198 acre-feet without experiencing any uncontrolled releases.
“The goal of maximizing storage is to take advantage of an abundant water year and provide additional water supply for the next water year in the event of a drought year,” said Worsley.
In a TCID statement released yesterday, General Manager Ben Shawcroft explained the rationale for filling the reservoir, “This decision was made after careful consideration and analysis of the existing conditions in the mountains and the forecasts and models that are run by forecasters from different agencies. These forecasts are run every day with adjustments being made in our operations as needed. We compare what is likely to flow into the reservoir to what we need to release to satisfy irrigation demands. A calculated analysis is then made as to the likelihood that we will completely fill the reservoir and the probable timing of such an event. As the reservoir nears capacity, adjustments can and will be made on a daily basis to avoid an uncontrolled release. Reclamation and TCID are experienced with this balancing exercise having done it in the recent past.”
Worsley added, “Reclamation and TCID understand the community’s concern over the decision to fill Lahontan Reservoir. We meet weekly with the City of Fallon and Churchill County leadership to keep them apprised of the information we are basing our actions on and the actions themselves. We are approaching the end of the snowmelt runoff and we are in a good position to safely store water in Lahontan Reservoir without experiencing uncontrolled releases that could jeopardize public safety.”
