Marlette Lake Dam project underway near Lake Tahoe
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After silver was discovered in Virginia City in 1859, it became a boomtown after a massive influx of miners and speculators arrived to make it rich.
To supply water to the town and the mines, Marlette Lake was created by installing a dam on what was known as Goodwin Lake, and Hobart Reservoir was created.
The water was diverted to Virginia City via an ingenious system of flumes and pipelines, including the world’s largest inverted siphon in 1873. This included a 3,994-foot-long tunnel through the watershed basin divide, and an ingenious inverted siphon pipe to get water through Washoe Valley.
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The Marlette Lake Dam is a National Landmark and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The same system supplies water to Virginia City, Storey County and some of Carson City, but there is a project underway to fix the 152-year-old dam, known as the Marlette Lake Dam project. Seepage was found at the dam during an inspection in 2017, and it was determined that this seepage could eventually lead to a catastrophic failure.
The Marlette Lake Dam Rehabilitation was recently kicked off with a ceremony including all the involved agencies and partners. It is funded by the FEMA Pre-Disaster Mitigation Fund and will improve the overall safety of the earthen embankment dam and ensure 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. The project is planned to end in October 2026.
The Marlette Lake Water System, encompassing Marlette Lake, Hobart Reservoir, and several catchments on the east slope of the Sierra Nevada mountains above Washoe Valley, is all part of the improvement project, and public access will be limited. The enhancements will address issues with the current system as well as expand capacity.
Trail Closures
In advance of the July 4 holiday, project stakeholders for the Marlette Lake Dam rehabilitation project want to remind trail users that trail closures are in effect in the Spooner Lake State Park backcountry.
Trails leading to and surrounding the area are closed to the public, including:
- North Canyon Road
- Marlette Lake Trail
- Marlette Creek Trail
- Hobart Road from Laxalt Junction to Marlette Lake
- Marlette Dam Trail
- Marlette Flume Trail South from the Rock Slide (see map)
- Marlette Lake Road
- Snow Valley Peak Road
- North Canyon Campground
- Hobbie Leonard Cabin
- Franktown Creek Road
- Snapdragon Trail
- Hanna’s Cabin Trail
- Pipeline Road
- Red House Flume Road
- Lakeview Road
While construction is underway, the Tahoe Rim Trail and Capital to Tahoe Trail will remain open, as well as Hobart Reservoir and Ash Canyon Road.
Visitors are reminded that using closed trails and entering construction zones is strictly prohibited, and law enforcement will be patrolling the area. Access for emergency personnel will remain open throughout the project.
The Marlette Lake Dam is a critical component of the Marlette Lake Water System, which supplies water to Virginia City, some of Storey County and some of Carson City. The Dam was constructed in 1873 and raised in 1959.
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 is funded by the FEMA Pre-Disaster Mitigation Fund and will improve the overall safety of the 150-year-old earthen embankment dam and ensure 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. The project is planned to end in October 2026.
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