Wilson Canyon is a gorge cut by the Walker River through a series of volcanic cliffs. The canyon is located west of Yerington, along

Nevada State Route 208 State Route 208 (SR 208) is a state highway in Douglas and Lyon counties in Nevada, United States. It connects U.S. Route 395 (US 395) north of Topaz Lake to U.S. Route 95 Alternate in Yerington. The road serves as the primary transportation co ...

. It is managed by the U.S.

Bureau of Land Management The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering federal lands. Headquartered in Washington DC, and with oversight over , it governs one eighth of the country's la ...

Description

The canyon runs through the Singatse Range in Lyon County, where the Walker River flows northeast into the Mason Valley. Over the of canyon the elevation of the Walker River drops by , or an average grade of 1% (compared to 0.1% to the west of the canyon). The canyon was named after " Uncle Billy Wilson" who was a miner and rancher, and for whom the Wilson Mining District is also named. The Nevada Copper Belt Railroad ran through Wilson Canyon; the track laid to the canyon was completed shortly before Uncle Billy Wilson's death.

Flooding

What were known as the "1997 New Year's Floods" occurred in western Nevada and northern California. They were the result of a group of snow storms in the

Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada () is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primarily ...

at the end of 1996. Three additional rainstorms came between December 20, 1996. and January 2, 1997. These heavy rainstorms melted most of the snowpack below elevation, including that at the headwater of the Walker River. This, plus additional heavy rain between , increased the amount of runoff from the mountains, with the consequence being the worst flood western Nevada had seen in 150 years. During this period Wilson Canyon flooded, the narrow width of the canyon increasing the amount of damage to the area. Large portions of Route 208 were destroyed, with pieces of roadway being found in the river after the flood subsided. Following the flood the highway was closed for two months and repaired at a cost of $726,000.

References

{{Reflist Canyons and gorges of Nevada Landforms of Lyon County, Nevada