Little Washoe Lake water levels are now recovering after the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) worked with partners to repair a water diversion ditch that feeds the Washoe Lakes system, which includes Big and Little Washoe Lakes, as well as the Scripps Wildlife Management Area (WMA) that lies between.
Little Washoe and portions of the Scripps WMA dried up during the summer of 2021 due to the lack of precipitation and associated stream flows caused by consecutive drought years.
“This is the first time many locals could ever recall Little Washoe Lake levels dropping to this extreme,” said NDOW Habitat Division Administrator Alan Jenne. “We quickly realized a need to investigate to find the root of the issue, possible solutions and evaluate options to make the system more resilient”.
NDOW visited the lake with the Nevada Division of Water Resources, the Nevada Division of State Parks, and the U.S. Federal Water Master in July to evaluate the situation.
Despite finding no anomalies or immediate solutions for summer stream flows, the visit and discussions did reveal an irrigation diversion ditch that washed out during the 2017 floods that could provide some long-term relief for the Washoe lake system if repaired.
NDOW began coordinating with the Washoe Lake Reservoir and Galena Creek Ditch Company, and Nevada Conservation Districts Program to discuss options to repair the ditch.
It was found that while the value and use of the water rights that flow through the diversion ditch were still there, the funds necessary for a repair were not.
NDOW quickly volunteered to fund the repair if the ditch company would oversee the project and coordinate with private landowners and the States Conservation District Program to hire someone to make the repairs. Quilici Construction Company, given their extensive experience with these scenarios, was soon hired and the repairs were finalized on Friday, November 5.
