16 | Wednesday, March 15, 2017 | Lahontan Valley News
US 95
From page 1
be added to 10 existing
roadway culverts to help
channel floodwaters under-
neath the highway to Car-
son Lake east of U.S. 95.
She said the improvements
should mitigate potential
flooding in future years.
Were making sure we
are taking appropriate ac-
tion for the highway to be
prepared for the flooding,
she said Monday.
Ragonese said a team of
hydrologists studied maps
and prior history to deter-
mine the location of the
new culverts.
They determined Construction crews work on the final culvert that will bring water under U.S. Highway 95
through a topographical
map of the basin by iden-
tifying the low-lying areas
where water would go, she structed a spillway on the
said.
Along each installed
culvert, construction crews
have been digging out
long ditches for the water
to drain into and then
through the culverts to the
other side and east toward
Carson Lake.
Late last week in a
plan to lower the level
of Lahontan Reservoir
so more runoff from the
Sierra could be stored, the
Truckee-Carson Irrigation
District, along with crews
from the Churchill County
Road Department and
to Carson Lake.
out-of-state firms, con-
V-line canal to divert water
to Sheckler Reservoir and
to the U.S. Navys Bravo 16,
a training range southwest
of the reservoir.
Previous TCID timeta-
bles indicate water could
arrive at the culverts within
days or a week. TCID Dis-
trict Manager Rusty Jar-
dine said water is running
at about 800 cubic feet
per second at the newly
installed spillway. Lahon-
tan Reservoir has dropped
almost 85,000-acre feet of
water since the drawdown
began in February. An acre
STEVE RANSON / LVN
The installation of four culverts should be finished by the
end of the week.
Water rushes out of a new spillway constructed on the
V-line canal last week.
foot is about 386,000 gal- Jardine said the flow
lons of water. may eventually be reduced
Water could reach the pending an evaluation of
highway sometime this the water release and some
weekend upward to next planned maintenance on Water still maintains a high level in the V-line canal at a
week, Jardine stressed. the weir. diversion point that will send water to Sheckler Reservoir
and the desert.
Ragonese said NDOT
will monitor the highway
for any impacts created
by the standing roadside
water. While traffic has
been detoured on U.S. 95
either through Yerington
or Gabbs, she said the right
conditions could close the
highway because of water
flowing over the two-lane
road; however, she remains
optimistic the highway will
not undergo any closures.
Preliminary floodplain
analysis has been conduct-
ed, and long-range weath-
er forecasts evaluated, but
there is also potential that
future storms or rapid
spring snow melt-off could
cause storm water to flow
over and temporarily close
the highway, she said in a
previous media release.
The total cost to in-
stall the culverts is about
$1.3 million. Since this
is preventative work and
not restorative, Ragonese
said the State of Nevada
will not receive reimburse-
ment from the federal
government.
IN OTHER FLOOD-
RELATED NEWS ....
As state, federal and
local agencies monitor
the water situation in
Churchill County, Wash-
oe County is undergoing
problems with the flooding
of an artificial lake in Lem-
mon Valley north of Reno.
The Nevada Military
Department said 42
guardsmen from Fallons
609th Engineer Co., have
been activated on state
orders to help with flood-
ing relief efforts. A Guard
spokesman Tuesday said
a total of 120 guardsmen
from various units and 21
vehicles are on site. Wash-
oe County, in a letter to
residents, said a commu-
nity meeting is slated for
Wednesday night for resi-
dents to learn more about
the short-term plan to
prevent flood waters from
affecting homes and prop-
erty in Lemmon Valley.
Nine guardsmen from
the 609th aided Storey
County in January with
snow removal, and other
soldiers assisted with the
flooding near Lockwood.
Bill Lawry from the
countys Emergency Op-
erations Center said on
Saturday a team spoke with
residents who live near the
river on the following roads
or drives west of Fallon:
Santa Fe, McLean, Alcorn
and Phelps.
We told them they ought
to prepare, Lawry said.
He suggested homeown-
ers be prepared now rather
than later in case there is a
climatic weather event, of-
ficials would not be able to
lower Lahontan Reservoir
as much as they would like,
or there would be a breach
in the system delivering the
water.