CALIENTE -- Nevada Department of Wildlife and Nevada State Parks will be working together this fall to remove Schroeder Dam in Beaver Dam State Park, east of Caliente.

The dam, built in 1961, was severely damaged during a storm in January 2005 and was breached (drained) shortly afterwards to avoid catastrophic failure.

Goals of the project are to remove hazards, including exposed mud flats behind the dam, and return the dam site and streams that fed the reservoir to a natural state.

"We are restoring the stream fishery at the park." said Lisa Schettler, the engineer at the department coordinating the project. "Removal of the remnants of the dam and stabilizing the reservoir silt will allow spawning fishes access to the full stream bed and prevent the sediment and erosion problems of the past."

Work will begin mid-September and is scheduled for completion by Thanksgiving. For safety reasons, access to the Beaver Dam Park entrance roadway will be closed intermittently, and use by the general public limited during certain construction activities from about Sept. 7 through Thanksgiving.

Hunters who drew big game tags in the area may be affected, and the department will notify them of road closures to allow for early planning.

After the dam was breached in April 2005, federal and state agencies confirmed that the unusually high historic sedimentation rates had compromised the reservoir's capacity and its ability to absorb flood waters.

Experts agreed that repair of the dam was not feasible. With the dam in place, stream fishing, water quality, and even improvements just downstream at the Mathews Ranch, are all at risk.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently approved funding to remove the dam. The FEMA funds will be matched with Nevada Question 1 Bond Initiative funds 3-to-1 for an estimated project cost of $2 million.

As the lead agency, the Nevada Department of Wildlife has already completed various studies on how to best eliminate the hazard. Design plans and permits are nearly complete.

Local contractors will be invited to bid on the various contracts. Those on state bidding lists will be notified, and others can watch for notices in Reno and Las Vegas builder's exchanges, and the local newspaper.

When work begins in the fall, between six and 10 workers will be required for an estimated eight weeks. Construction crews are expected to stay in the area; that plus fuel and supply expenditures will provide a boost to the local economy.

For more information, contact NDOW Project Manager Lisa Schettler, P.E., 1-775-688-1564.