Popular fishing lake to be refilled as repairs to old dam near completion
A once-popular Nevada fishing lake that has stood near empty for almost two years will return back to its former levels after state officials repaired a dam that posed a danger to neighboring residents.
The 90-year-old Cave Creek Dam, inside Cave Lake State Park near Ely, likely will leave the list of Nevada’s 162 dams that are considered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to be “high-hazard,” meaning they would cause significant loss of life and property damage if they were to fail. A 2022 assessment listed the dam in poor condition.
Officials made the decision to drain the lake in 2021 to allow for the fastest, safest project possible. It reached its lowest point in January 2022. The Nevada Department of Wildlife now estimates it will take about nine months for it to return to pre-project levels.
In a statement, NDOW Director Alan Jenne lauded the progress. The agency will work on re-establishing brown trout and rainbow trout populations and will introduce smallmouth bass into the waterway, according to a news release.
“This is a big step in turning Cave Lake back into a destination spot for visitors from all over the state,” Jenne said. “A lot of people and a lot of different agencies have worked very hard on this project and we’re finally starting to see the results. It’s all very exciting.”
Before the drawdown of the lake that began in 2019, the park averaged more than 63,000 visitors a year, the news release said.
The lake will open for public use once officials remove equipment. The park’s campgrounds and trails have remained open during construction.
Contact Alan Halaly at ahalaly@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlanHalaly on X.