Derby Dam, constructed under specification Number 1 and Drawing 1 of the U.S. Reclamation Service, now the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, diverts the flow of the Truckee River for irrigation use. It was the forerunner of such mighty structures as Hoover, Grand Coulee, Shasta and Glen Canyon Dams.
Derby Dam was authorized by Secretary of the Interior E.A. Hitchcock on March 11, 1903. It is part of the Newlands Project, named in honor of Nevada Senator Francis G. Newlands who worked for passage of the reclamation laws in 1902. Derby takes it name from a nearby Southern Pacific Railroad station of the day.
Charles A. Warren & Co. of San Francisco, the contractor, started work on the dam on October 2, 1903 and finished May 20, 1905. Operational water diversions began in 1906.
 The Derby Dam in the center b.g. Accessing the Truckee River is pretty easy from here. Just stay five hundred yards from the dam if you want to fish.
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-- Conquered, 'Late Removal' --
Date of Disappearance: (Estimated) Winter 2011
Status: First off, I must thank a good number of you who have informed me of this recent MIA. [43] Derby Diversion Dam was a marker I would least expect to disappear - a marker that sat just well out of harm's way from I-80's beaten path to avoid demise. Apparently, the marker was not far enough. The photo below shows its untimely death ...
 Photo taken June 2011 |
Many speculations revolve around what happened to this marker. The most sound explanation deals with a carload of teenagers who recklessly plowed into the marker sometime in January 2011. It wouldn't take too much force to knock over this "medium" sized marker and from the look of it, this is exactly what happened. I have my work cut out for me if I am to find out the truth behind this marker's sudden disappearance. As a result of these events, [43] may have been relocated to any of the six NDOT maintenance stations in the immediate Reno/Sparks area to undergo repairs, or in the worst case scenario, it may have taken an immediate trip to the junkyard. Unfortunately, there is not enough information to form a conclusion of any kind at the moment and such will most likely be the case for awhile.
Updates will be posted once I have more information. As always, my search will continue as diligent as ever. In the meantime, pay your respects to this sudden murder should you visit this neck of the woods. Of course, if you happen to find out any information in regards to this unfortunate MIA case, please
email me
so I can update this information with full credit given to you!
