UPDATE: The city of Reno, Washoe County, and the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority have put together plans to help with flooding in Lemmon Valley.
“We'll have to work out the details,” said Reno Director of Public Works John Flansberg. The Reno City Council and Washoe County Commissioners working with the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority, approved a plan on Tuesday to lower water levels at Swan Lake. “The idea is to draw down the water as quickly as possible,” said Reno Vice-Mayor Naomi Duerr.
Swan Lake has created flooding issues for Lemmon Valley residents for the last two and a half years. Under the new plan, a pipeline would start 4 ft deep into the lake. An above ground pipe would carry water through Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority and Washoe County lands. The water would then be disbursed in an unpopulated plot of land in American Flat near the Reno-Stead Airport. “Although we are looking at a pivot type of system to disperse the water, it very well could be a straight pipe with the wheels that turn,” said Flansburg.
According to Duerr, the city also took another step on Monday to alleviate lake water levels. “We said let’s take water that would normally go down to the lake and send it to our waste treatment plant on the river. So that would lower our lake about half a foot,” said Duerr.
The American Flat pipeline would have a similar effect. “The pipeline project would also lower the lake about half a foot. It would cost about $3 million,” said Duerr.
The water would be used to grow alfalfa or grass for agricultural use. Some residents of American Flat however are now concerned about what effect the pipeline plan may have on their homes. “I'm concerned about the water that’s coming into American Flat. And what's its doing to the water table. I’m concerned about having agriculture there. Are they going to be spraying contaminants,” said American Flat resident Theresa Kretschmer.
UPDATE: The Reno City Council and Washoe County officials have approved a proposal on Tuesday for a pipeline to alleviate water levels at Swan Lake.
UPDATE: The Reno City Council is meeting with Washoe County and airport officials on Tuesday to come up with a solution to lower water levels at Swan Lake.
The Council decided not to stop building in Lemmon Valley and Silver Lake on Monday night, amid concerns they the construction may be contributing to flooding in the area.
They've been hearing a presentation regarding the installation of a temporary pipeline to remove water from Swan Lake. Under the proposal, a pipe would be submerged in Swan Lake. The above-ground pipe would run to what is known as American Flat. A sprinkler type system would disperse the water at that location and the extra water, once it builds up, would be used for land application and future agricultural use.
2 News has been following how Swan Lake flooding has plagued Lemmon Valley resident for the last two and a half years. Over that time period, the county put up barriers in 2017, protected high traffic areas and added water pumps.
They also installed an inflatable dam in April.
The City of Reno lost a lawsuit in June, that found it liable for the flooding of Swan Lake in 2017, but on Monday night, the City Council decided to appeal that ruling.
The newly proposed pipeline would go through county land, so an inter-local agreement would have to be reached for the project to proceed.
A temporary pipe up to five years would then be replaced by a permanent system after that.
This is a developing story.
