BLM authorizes Washoe County to build stormwater control facility on federal land in Lemmon Valley, Nevada

Washoe County just got federal approval to build a stormwater management facility on about 13 acres of public land north of the Heppner Subdivision in Lemmon Valley, Nevada. The Bureau of Land Management’s Sierra Front Field Office granted the county a long-term right-of-way to construct and maintain the facility—a direct response to the flooding, sediment movement, and drainage problems that have been hitting nearby residents for years.

BLM grants right-of-way for Lemmon Valley stormwater project

The approval came after the BLM Sierra Front Field Office completed an Environmental Assessment of the proposed project. That review examined what putting a stormwater facility on public land would actually mean—and cleared the county to move forward.

The permanent right-of-way covers roughly 13 acres north of the Heppner Subdivision. Washoe County also gets temporary access to another 37.5 acres of federal land during construction. Once the work is done, those temporary areas don’t just get left as-is—the county is required to restore them.

Requiring revegetation after construction is one concrete way that mission shows up at the local level, even on a relatively small project like this one.

The authorization gives Washoe County the legal standing to build, run, and maintain the facility in the long term. That’s a meaningful commitment from the federal government, reflecting just how serious the drainage situation in Lemmon Valley actually is.

Recurring flooding and drainage problems prompted the project

Lemmon Valley sits in a low-lying basin in northern Nevada. That geography makes it especially prone to stormwater buildup—when rain falls, or snow melts, runoff has historically had nowhere useful to go, and the people living there have dealt with the consequences repeatedly.

This isn’t a one-time problem. Recurrent flooding, sediment movement, and drainage issues have hit homes and infrastructure again and again. That pattern is what pushed Washoe County to pursue a real engineering solution rather than simply reacting every time things got bad.

The stormwater facility is designed to intercept runoff before it reaches vulnerable areas. Capturing and controlling water earlier in the process should break the cycle that’s made life harder for people near the Heppner Subdivision.

Construction scope includes trenches, basins, fencing, and an access road

This isn’t a simple ditch. Washoe County will build a runoff interceptor trench and two separate stormwater catchment basins—features designed to capture and hold significant volumes of runoff when it matters most. Outlet structures will manage how water moves through and out of the system.

A maintenance access road is also part of the plan, giving county crews a practical way to reach the facility for routine upkeep without tearing up the surrounding land. Livestock exclusion fencing rounds out the design—a sensible addition that keeps animals out of active stormwater basins, protecting both the infrastructure and the animals themselves.

Washoe County is required to build all approved design features and follow the Best Management Practices laid out in the authorization. No cherry-picking which elements to include. The county also takes on full responsibility for operating and maintaining the facility over its lifetime—the federal government is providing land access, and the county owns everything that comes after.

Temporary disturbance areas will be restored after construction

A project this size inevitably disturbs land beyond the permanent footprint. Trenching, grading, and equipment movement across 37.5 acres of temporary workspace will leave a mark, but the authorization requires that those areas be reclaimed and revegetated once construction wraps up.

Reclamation requirements like this are standard when federal land is involved. The BLM manages approximately 245 million acres of public land, primarily across 12 western states and Alaska, and protecting the long-term condition of that land—even when authorizing development on portions of it—is central to how the agency operates.

The BLM’s stated mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of public lands for present and future generations. Requiring revegetation after construction is one concrete way that mission shows up at the local level, even on a relatively small project like this one. Decision documents and supporting materials are available through the BLM’s Lemmon Valley Stormwater Improvement Project page; the project lead for further questions is Criz Miralles, a Realty Specialist with the Sierra Front Field Office.

13 acres and temporary access to 37.5 acres

Here’s the short version. The Bureau of Land Management has given Washoe County the green light to build a stormwater management facility on federal land in Lemmon Valley—with a long-term right-of-way covering about 13 acres and temporary construction access to an additional 37.5 acres.

The project includes a runoff interceptor trench, two catchment basins, outlet structures, a maintenance road, and livestock fencing. It’s a direct response to years of recurring flooding and drainage problems affecting residents near the Heppner Subdivision. None of that infrastructure comes cheap or fast, but the federal authorization clears the biggest hurdle.

Washoe County is responsible for building to approved specifications and maintaining the facility indefinitely. Temporarily disturbed land must be restored once construction ends. The decision followed an Environmental Assessment, and full project documents are available through the BLM’s project page.

Kelly Lippke

Kelly is an experienced writer with 15 years of experience exploring the big stories that shape our world, from tech breakthroughs and space exploration to climate, energy, and the fascinating quirks of science. She has a talent for turning complex ideas into sharp, memorable insights that stay with readers long after they’ve finished reading.