Lincoln county office of Emergency Management is monitoring the status of Echo dam and at this time is recommending a voluntary evacuation for Dry Valley and Panaca due to the potential for the dam to breach tonight.
The dam is running a lot of water over the emergency spillway. There are four rock barriers in the spillway to help slow the erosion of the dam. Two of the four rock barriers have washed out, and the third barrier is being eroded. If the fourth barrier washes out it could erode into the dam itself causing major flooding.
The City of Caliente and Beaver Dam Estates have been placed on advisory.
Shelters are being set up in Pioche at the LDS Church for dry valley residents.
Shelters are being set up in Panaca at the LDS church and the high school for Panaca residents.
Emergency management is in contact with state and local officials and has made a county emergency declaration.
Emergency officials are working on mitigation efforts and will send out additional update messages. Updates are being provided through the Emergency Management Facebook page and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.
As of 12:30 a.m. the dam was still intact and emergency management will be monitoring throughout the night and update if the dam fails. There is a two-hour window if the dam is breached to the time the water arrives at Panaca.