If you drive out to Lemmon Valley, you'll find a lake there now, filled up during the flooding of 2017.
Keeping that water from causing even more damage to homes and neighborhoods is a big concern for Washoe County.
When Swan Lake filled up, it surprised a lot of people, who had only seen it as a long-dry lake bed. A full year later, managing the lake is a regular operation that the county had to work into its budget. They're spending more than a million dollars a year maintaining HESCO barriers and pumping out water to keep the levels down.
"We continue to pump to this day," Washoe County Manager John Slaughter said. "We have divers that go out several times a month to check the culverts that prevent the water from backflowing back into some of the homes."
But Slaughter said this isn't a permanent fix. It's a lot of work, and it's stretching the county's budget. There are ten homes that are most in danger of severe flood damage if the waters rise, so the county and FEMA are buying out the owners.
"The land that those homes are on will be purchased," Slaughter said. "The houses will be demolished, and those will be open spaces. Residents won't be on those properties ever again."
To hear more about what the county is doing to keep the area flood-safe, tune in for Face the State this weekend. It's airing Saturday at 4:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. and Sunday at 6:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
