TCID Approves $4.48 Million Lahontan Tower Gate Project

The Truckee-Carson Irrigation District (TCID) Board of Directors on Tuesday approved a $4,475,000 contract with JF Brennan to refurbish the underwater intake gates in the Lahontan Reservoir tower, selecting a lower-cost option by completing the work during the winter and refurbishing the existing gates rather than replacing them.

Located beneath the intake tower, the aging gates regulate water flowing into the penstock—the large pipeline that carries water to the Lahontan Dam hydroelectric plant—making them a critical part of the district's hydroelectric infrastructure.

The agenda listed the project at $5,238,000. However, TCID General Manager Ben Shawcroft explained that staff evaluated several options, including replacing the gates or refurbishing them and completing the work either underwater or during the winter in mostly dry conditions. Refurbishing the existing gates during the winter was the preferred option because it reduced the contract cost to $4,475,000.

According to Hydro-Electric Facilities Manager Mark Solinski, funding is now in place, and the district is ready to move forward.

"We've been working on this for a long time," Solinski said. "We were awarded a WaterSMART grant to cover half the project costs, but the prices for the gates are far more expensive than what was budgeted for."

Shawcroft said the Bureau of Reclamation has also committed additional funding for the project, leaving TCID responsible for approximately $1.88 million, which the district has already set aside in designated funds.

JF Brennan Regional Dive Manager Merill Collins said divers completed an initial inspection of the tower and gates during the winter of 2025.

"Things looked sound a year and a half ago, but we will take another look," Collins said. He explained that divers will return before construction begins to verify measurements, inspect the concrete and complete final evaluations.

Collins said completing the work during the winter will reduce both dive time and project costs.

"The lower the water, the better," Collins said. "There is much less dive time, which helps with cost and time."

Solinski reminded directors that three of the six gates have already been refurbished. The remaining gates will be removed and transported to Nevada Sandblasting in Sparks for refurbishing before JF Brennan divers reinstall them.

Directors unanimously approved the $4,475,000 contract with JF Brennan. They also approved a $169,370 proposal from Lumos & Associates for design and construction administration services for the S-C5 check structure replacement project, as well as a contract with Far Western for National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) compliance work related to various projects at a cost not to exceed $62,802.