Nevada dam in race against Sierra snowmelt
By Benjamin Spillman, Reno Gazette-Journal
The view from Lahontan dam looking west features a shimmering desert lake framed in the distance by the snowy Sierra Nevada.
The warm, late winter sun above and low roar of water surging through the dam below makes the quiet deck of the 102-year-old structure seem like a nice place for a hammock and an afternoon nap.
But there’s no time to rest for Mark Solinsky or anyone else responsible for operating the dam and downstream infrastructure.
That’s because they’re in a race to prevent snowmelt from the glimmering Sierra Nevada from topping spillways at the rim of the desert reservoir.