Marlette Lake Water System

Roughly, from Marlette Lake E to NV 80, Virginia City, Nevada. County/parish: Storey.

Added to the National Register of Historic Places September 16, 1992. NRIS 92001162.

2 contributing buildings. 12 contributing structures.

Also known as:

  • See Also:
  • Virginia City Gold Hill Water Company Water System

From Wikipedia:

Marlette Lake Water System

The Marlette Lake Water System was created to provide water for the silver mining boom in Virginia City, Nevada. These structures are now listed as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers, and are also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The listed area included two contributing buildings and 12 contributing structures on 135.4 acres (54.8 ha). It has also been known historically as the Virginia and Gold Hill Water Company Water System.

The mines required large amounts of water and timber to supply the houses and mines in Virginia City and Gold Hill. To feed these mines, the dam at Carson Tahoe Lumber and Fluming Company's Marlette Lake was increased, and Hobart Reservoir was created, and a number of flumes and pipelines were built to transport water down to Virginia City. This included a 3,994-foot-long tunnel through the watershed basin divide, and an ingenious inverted siphon pipe to get water through Washoe Valley. The Virginia and Gold Hill Water Company Marlette flume location is now a trail for mountain biking and hiking.

The collection portion of the water system is now located inside Lake Tahoe-Nevada State Park.

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National Park Service documentation: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63816697