Officials from federal, state and local agencies advise visitors to exercise caution while camping and using the state’s waterways over the Fourth of July weekend.
Photo by Steve Ranson.
An extended weekend with the promise of sunny skies and temperatures hovering near or above 100 degrees will greet residents and visitors to the area’s recreational areas and state parks.
Churchill County Sheriff Richard Hickox said on his Facebook page the wildfire risk is high, and the wet winters of the past two years have led to the growth of grass, weeds, brush and trees.
“Please be cautious when and where you choose to recreate out in this great state of ours as you do not want to ruin you day by sparking a wildfire,” Hickox advised.
According to the Bureau of Land Management’s Carson City fire management officer, precautions should always be taken to prevent wildfires BLM previously issued restrictions throughout the state including Churchill and surrounding counties:
• Never leave a campfire unattended. Extinguish all campfires completely and stir ashes to make sure no hot coals remain and always make sure they are dead out.
• Dispose of cigarettes in proper containers away from any flammable material.
• Avoid driving though dry vegetation or parking your vehicle in high grass or dry vegetation.
• Never use stoves, lanterns or heaters inside a tent.
• Store flammable liquid containers in a safe place.
• Do not shoot tracer bullets or incendiary ammunition.
• Do not shoot in areas of dry fuels especially in times of extreme conditions such as Red Flag Warnings.
• Shoot only at cardboard or paper targets or manufactured thrown-type clay targets. Shots fired across open desert can travel more than a mile and can cause a wildfire.
Additionally, if an off-road vehicle use is allowed, the BLM said internal combustion equipment should have a spark arrester. A BLM spokeswoman advises recreationists to keep hydrated while riding their off-road vehicles at Sand Mountain and to seek shade periodically during the day.
The area’s recreation areas will be busy, but a parks spokesman said Lahontan Reservoir will have diminished beach areas due to the high water level, two good consecutive water years and near-record snowfall in the Sierra Nevada.
“It will be busy this weekend,” said Tyler Kerver, the Nevada State Parks education and information officer. “Lahontan is one of our popular parks, and we’ll see how busy we get.”
Other state parks expected to be busy are Washoe Lake, Mormon Station, Buckland Station, Walker River and Dayton.
Because Lahontan has limited space for camping, he said the designated areas will be first come, first served because of the limited beach space.
Another problem continuing at Lahontan is algae, which became a problem during the summer of 2023. Kerver said visitors should watch for purple algae bloom on the water.
Algal blooms can last for days or weeks and toxins can last for days after the bloom. NSP said they can occur at any time of the year but are most common in the summer when the water is warm and stagnant.
The NSP released information in 2023 which is still relevant to this summer. To protect yourself from toxic algae, the NSP advises people to avoid recreating (wading, swimming, jet-skiing or water skiing) in water containing possible algal blooms. Keep children and pets away from the water. Do not drink, cook or wash dishes with the affected water. If you come in contact with the water or the algal scum, wash the area thoroughly with clean water from a safe source.
“Definitely keep pets out of the water, and you’ll be swimming at your own risk,” he added. “If the water is green, avoid.”
Kerver said Patch Reservoir 22 miles east of Lovelock is taking reservations for its developed campground sites. Another popular camping area is at Fort Churchill south of Sliver Springs.
Kerver emphasized fireworks aren’t allowed at any of the locations because of the high fire danger.
“State park staff may further restrict activities, such as building and maintaining campfires within approved fire enclosures or designated picnic areas based on local conditions and when ‘Red Flag’ conditions are in place,” the BLM added.