Wild Horse Reservoir is a man-made
lake
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...
in
Elko County
Elko County is a county in the northeastern corner of Nevada, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 53,702. Its county seat is Elko. The county was established on March 5, 1869, from Lander County.
Elko County is the fourth ...
,
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. The
reservoir
A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation.
Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...
was initially created in 1937 by the construction of Wild Horse Dam. In 1969, a new concrete single-angle arch dam was constructed by the
United States Bureau of Reclamation
The Bureau of Reclamation, and formerly the United States Reclamation Service, is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior, which oversees water resource management, specifically as it applies to the oversight and opera ...
for the
Bureau of Indian Affairs
The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), also known as Indian Affairs (IA), is a United States federal agency within the Department of the Interior. It is responsible for implementing federal laws and policies related to American Indians and A ...
with a height of and a length of at its crest. The original 1937 dam was left in place and is still partly visible. The newer dam doubled the size of the reservoir.
The reservoir impounds the
Owyhee River
The Owyhee River is a tributary of the Snake River located in northern Nevada, southwestern Idaho and southeastern Oregon in the United States. It is long.Owyhee Rive accessed November 3, 2019
The river's drainage basin is in area, one of the l ...
for flood control and irrigation storage, part of the larger Duck Valley Irrigation Project. The dam and reservoir are owned and administered by the BIA, and leased to the nearby
Duck Valley Indian Reservation
The Duck Valley Indian Reservation () was established in the 19th century for the federally recognized Shoshone-Paiute Tribe. It is isolated in the high desert of the western United States, and lies on the state line, the 42nd parallel, between ...
(Sho-Pai). Recreation on the lake includes fishing for trout, bass, catfish and perch. The state of Nevada also maintains the adjacent
Wild Horse State Recreation Area
Wild Horse State Recreation Area is a public recreation area located on the northeast shore of Wild Horse Reservoir, approximately north of Elko, Nevada. The park is a popular destination for fishing, and especially ice fishing
Ice fishing ...
.
The small community of
Wild Horse
The wild horse (''Equus ferus'') is a species of the genus ''Equus'', which includes as subspecies the modern domesticated horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') as well as the endangered Przewalski's horse (''Equus ferus przewalskii''). The Europea ...
is located on the south shore.
Gallery
Image:2013-06-16 13 20 12 The double dams of Wild Horse Reservoir in Nevada.jpg, Double dams of Wild Horse Reservoir
Image:2013-06-16 13 22 55 Wild Horse Reservoir in Nevada viewed from a rock outcrop above dam, with Nevada State Route 225 along the shore.jpg, Wild Horse Reservoir viewed from rock outcrop above dam
Image:2013-06-16 13 59 05 Wild Horse Dam in Nevada viewed from down the Owyhee River, with Nevada State Route 225 on the left.jpg, Wild Horse Dam viewed from downstream
Image:2014-08-19 13 19 01 Sign describing Wild Horse Dam, Nevada.JPG, Sign describing Wild Horse Dam
Climate
Wild Horse Reservoir has a
humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...
(
Dfb DFB may refer to:
* Deerfield Beach, Florida, a city
* Decafluorobutane, a fluorocarbon gas
* Dem Franchize Boyz, former hip hop group, Atlanta, Georgia
* Dfb, Köppen climate classification for Humid continental climate
* Distributed-feedback ...
) bordering on a
subalpine climate
The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of an ocean, ge ...
(Dfc). Summers are warm to hot with brisk nights, and tend to be drier than other times of the year. Winters are very chilly with heavy snowfall and nights near zero. The snowpack usually peaks during February at around 19 inches (48.3 cm).
See also
*
List of dams in the Columbia River watershed
There are more than 60 dams in the Columbia River watershed in the United States and Canada. Tributaries of the Columbia River and their dammed tributaries, as well as the main stem itself, each have their own list below. The dams are listed in ...
References
External links
Wild Horse State Recreation Area
{{authority control
Dams in Nevada
Reservoirs in Nevada
Owyhee River
Buildings and structures in Elko County, Nevada
Dams completed in 1937
Dams completed in 1969
United States Bureau of Indian Affairs dams
Lakes of Elko County, Nevada
Shoshone
Paiute
1937 establishments in Nevada
Native American history of Nevada