SPOONER SUMMIT, Nev. – Construction on the Marlette Lake Dam Rehabilitation Project is complete and the Nevada Division of State Parks has reopened recreation access to the West side of the Spooner Lake backcountry.
The historic water system was constructed in the mid-1870’s to provide water to Virginia City. After draining the reservoir, the project removed the existing earthen dam and replaced it with a new one. The project also included upgrades to help the dam better withstand earthquakes, improvements to the spillway, and replacement of the discharge piping and outlet valves. The project started in June 2025 and was completed on schedule this month.
The Marlette Lake Dam is a critical component of the Marlette Lake Water System, which supplies water to Storey County and Carson City. Seepage within the dam was first identified during an inspection in 2017 by the Nevada Division of Water Resources, and it was determined that this seepage could eventually lead to a catastrophic failure. The Marlette Lake Dam Rehabilitation was funded by the FEMA Pre-Disaster Mitigation Fund and improves the overall safety of the 150-year-old earthen embankment dam, ensuring the longevity of the water resource. Environmental and cultural resource surveys were completed in the four-year planning span of the project in coordination with FEMA. Nevada State Public Works contracted Lumos & Associates and Granite Construction to engineer and construct the new dam…