Wilson Canyon in Lyon County Is Anticipated to Be Blocked for Months as Result of Large Landslide

RENO, Nev. (775 Times, NV Globe) – A 10-mile (16-kilometer) stretch of state highway along the West Walker River in western Nevada is anticipated to be blocked for months after a massive landslide prompted by heavy rain blanketed the route southwest of Yerington with mud and debris.

Officials with the Nevada Department of Transportation said the rock and mudslide on Highway 208 in the Wilson Canyon between Yerington and Smith Valley happened Tuesday night after the greatest rain in more than 100 years.

The highway is littered with debris for around 400 feet (122 meters).

“This is essentially an entire face of the roadside cliff that has come down, with not just boulders but earth as well,” NDOT spokeswoman Meg Ragonese said.

The day following the slide, NDOT personnel conducted a preliminary assessment of the region, which revealed that the hillside remains unstable. NDOT will have to hire expert rockfall engineers to complete the task.

Drivers who want to travel on paved roads between Yerington and Smith Valley must now go approximately two hours out of their way to reach the Lyon County seat and the rural farming village.

From State Route 339 on the Yerington side to the east to Hudson Aurora Road on the Smith Valley side to the west, the roadway is restricted to through traffic. Local traffic is permitted to pass through the closures in order to reach dwellings.

When the canyon flooded during strong rains in 1997, the road washed out. Ragonese stated that no injuries were reported as a result of the slide.

Every day, over 1,800 vehicles pass through the canyon.

Credits: FOX RENO