Lincoln County Reservoir is Dry Following Draining

The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) is advising anglers that Schroeder Reservoir in Lincoln County is now dry due to an emergency project this spring in which workers breached the dam because of fears of its safety.

Mark Fraga, NDOW engineer, said a decision was made to breach the dam and gradually draw the lake down after floodwater flowed over the top of the dam in January.

Heavy equipment was flown to the site by helicopters in order to complete the project.

“Obviously there is now no fishing at the lake, but rainbow trout are available in the stream above the drained lake. The park also has a very nice campground and offers tremendous scenery, hiking and camping opportunities,” said Jon Sjoberg, NDOW supervising fisheries biologist.

The dam was built in 1960 by NDOW (then Nevada Department of Fish and Game) for recreational purposes. It is located approximately 28 miles northeast of Caliente.

Schroeder Reservoir was originally 48 feet deep, but silt flowing downstream into the lake has caused its depth to eventually decline to 17 feet by the time this year’s flooding occurred. A very large and unstable drainage is above the reservoir.