Lake Tahoe Dam was constructed between 1909 and 1913 to control the top six feet of Lake Tahoe creating a reservoir of more than 700,000 acre feet of water. The Newlands Project which included the Lake Tahoe Dam and the Lahontan Dam was designed to provide irrigation water for cropland in the Lahontan Valley. The dam was completed in the fall 1913 and was subsequently placed on the National Register of Historic Places in March 1981.
“For a century this dam has been critical in providing water supply for so many important uses in the Tahoe and Truckee basin—agriculture, recreation, fish and wildlife—and the things most important to Truckee Meadows Water Authority—municipal water supply and hydroelectric generation,” said Mark Foree, general manager of the Truckee Meadows Water Authority in an article in the Sierra Sun.
The celebration was attended by approximately 100 officials and residents. “Government officials presented several certificates to the Bureau of Reclamation, recognizing its efforts to fulfill water demands of downstream users, and to the dam itself.” A memorial plaque will be mounted adjacent to the dam to commemorate this anniversary. “The dam ceremony kicked off celebrations for the 150th anniversary of Tahoe City and 75th anniversary of the Tahoe City Public Utility District.” To read the complete article, click on the above link to the Sierra Sun website.
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