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Gerlach, Nevada

USA / Nevada / Sutcliffe /
 CDP - Census Designated Place  Add category

John C. Fremont was traveling through these Northern Paiute Indian lands when he camped here in 1843 and named the local hot spot "Boiling Springs" (just north of town.)
This was also imigrant country. The Noble Road left the Applegate-Lassen Trail at Black Rock Springs, went past this site and southward through the Smoke Creek Desert toward Susanville. The town was established when the Western Pacific Railroad was constructed in Nevada 1905-1909. It still functions as a railroad division headquarters. The Western Pacific watertower built in the center of town is still standing and is now a registered historic landmark.
In 1972, the Gerlach Improvement Association (GIA) was formed as a corporation to "promote and encourage development of land now owned by WESTERN PACIFIC RAILROAD COMPANY in the Gerlach area." The Gerlach General Improvement District (GGID) was created on April 25, 1974 for various purposes, including the furnishing of water facilities.
In 1975, the Western Pacific Railroad Company granted to the GIA certain easements, rights of way, water distribution system and appurtenances and rights to take and use water. These are still owned by the GIA. No agreement between the GGID and the GIA currently exists for addressing the rights and responsibilities of each party regarding the use of easements, rights of way, water distribution pipes and water rights.
Gerlach's drinking water sources include two springs on the western slope of the Granite Mountains, the Railroad Springs and Garden Springs. These springs produce a high quality water, with the exception of uranium contamination. Uranium concentrations in the Railroad and Garden Springs have been as high as 110 mg/L and 290 mg/L, respectively. The Radionuclides Rule, promulgated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on December 7, 2000, set a maximum contaminant level for uranium in drinking water at 30 mg/L.
The Gerlach General Improvement District applied for a grant to install approximately 120 water meters, conduct a pilot study of the uranium treatment facility and incur certain legal and administrative cost associated with water rights transfer. This project included the design and construction of an ion exchange water treatment facility for the removal of uranium from the town's water supply.
The components of this project included: 1. Construction of a block building approximately 30-feet by 30-feet to house two 200 gpm anion exchange vessels, a brine solution tank, piping and appurtenances; 2. An HDPE lined evaporation pond for the disposal of the waste brine and storage of the solid waste until ultimate disposal; 3. Extension of single phase power line approximately 1.25 miles from Town to the treatment plant site 4. Radio controlled telemetry to provide alarm capabilities and remote operation of the treatment plant; and 5. Installation of individual water meters.
The treatment facility is located at the existing water tank site on State Route 447 at Godeys Gap Road. The parcel is a 5-acre right-of-way granted to GGID by the Bureau of Land Management and contains an existing 150,000 gallon redwood storage tank and a 300,00 gallon steel storage tank.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   40°39'6"N   119°21'28"W
This article was last modified 11 years ago