• Carson Now on Facebook
  • Follow Carson Now on Twitter
  • Follow Carson Now by RSS
  • Follow Carson Now by Email

Outdoors with Don Q: Things you may not know about Nevada

I've been busy as a bee, roaming all over the Internet, gathering information about all kinds of things that you may not know about Nevada. Here is a sample of what I found:

Seven largest states in the U.S.:
The seven largest states in the United States by square miles are:
01. Alaska 587,878.
02. Texas 266,874.
03. California 158,648.
04. Montana 147,047.
05. New Mexico 121,599.
06. Arizona 114,997.
07. Nevada 110,567.

Ten Largest Counties in the U.S.
Of the 10 largest counties by square miles in the United States, Nevada has:
The 3rd largest: Nye County 18,159 square miles.
The 4th largest: Elko County 17,203.
The 7th largest: Lincoln County 10, 637.
By comparison, Carson City (the combined City and County of Carson City) is a mere 144 square miles.

Highest point in each of Nevada's 17 counties:
Carson City: Snow Valley Peak (9,214 feet).
Churchill: Desatoya Peak: 9,973)
Clark: Mount Charleston (11,916)
Douglas: East Peak (9,591)
Elko: Ruby Dome 11,387)
Esmeralda: Boundary Peak (13,140) (Highest point in Nevada)
Eureka: Diamond Peak (10,631)
Humboldt: Granite Peak (9,932)
Lander: Bunker Hill (11,473)
Lincoln: Mount Grafton (10,640)
Lyon: Middle Sister (10,560)
Mineral: Mount Grant (11,280)
Nye: Mount Jefferson (11,949)
Pershing: Star Peak (9,836)
Storey: Mount Davidson (7,864)
Washoe: Mount Rose (10,776)
White Pine: Wheeler Peak (13,063) (Second highest point in Nevada

Nevada's Ten Largest Lakes (in surface size when full)
01. Lake Mead 157,900 acres.
02. Lake Tahoe 122,000.
03. Pyramid Lake 117,400.
04. Walker Lake 32,192.
05. Lake Mohave 28,260.
06. Ruby Marshes 17,125.
07. Rye Patch Reservoir 10,820.
08. Lahontan Reservoir 10,600.
09. Washoe Lake 5,800 (this lake is currently dry).
10. Wildhorse Reservoir 2,830.

Ten longest rivers in Nevada:
01. Colorado River: 1,450 miles (a small portion is in Nevada).
02. Owyhee River: 346.
03. Humboldt River: 330.
04. Amargosa River: 185.
05. Reese River: 181.
06. Virgin River: 162.
07. Bruneau River: 153.
08. White River: 138.
09. Carson River: 131.
10. South Fork of the Owyhee River: 127.

Highest temperature ever recorded in Nevada
125 degrees F on June 29, 1994 at Laughlin in Clark County.

Coldest temperature ever recorded in Nevada
-50 degrees F on January 08, 1937 at San Jacinto in Elko County.

Nevada's record snow depth
An eye-popping 271 inches: Near what is now the junction of U.S. 50 and Nevada S.R. 28 west of Carson City, Spooner Station measured 271 inches of snow on Mar. 12-13, 1911. (That is more than 22 feet of snow!)

Nevada's Wild Animals
Consist of: Pronghorn Antelope, Badgers, Beavers, Black Bear, Bobcats, Chipmunks, Coyotes, Mule Deer, Rocky Mt. Elk, Foxes, Rocky Mt. Goat, Mountain Lions, Porcupines, Raccoons, Calif. Bighorn Sheep, Desert Bighorn Sheep, Rocky Mt. Sheep, Squirrels, Skunks, etc.

Some of Nevada's top record fish:
Bass, Striped: 63 pounds, 0 ounces: Lake Mohave: caught in 2001.
Carp: 34 pounds, 10 ounces: Truckee River: 2005.
Catfish, Channel: 32 pounds, 7 ounces: South Fork Reservoir: 2011.
Perch, Sacramento: 4 pounds, 9 ounces: Pyramid Lake: 1971.
Salmon, Kokanee: 4 pounds, 13 ounces: Lake Tahoe: 1973.
Trout, Brook: 5 pounds, 10 ounces: Bull Run Reservoir: 1980
Trout, Golden: 0 pounds, 15 ounces: Hidden Lakes: 1969.
Trout, Mackinaw: 37 pounds, 6 ounces: Lake Tahoe: 1974.
Trout, Rainbow: 16 pounds, 8 ounces, Ruby Lake NWR: 2011.
Walleye: 15 pounds, 4 ounces: Lahontan Reservoir: 1998.

Finally:
There you have it, all kinds of useful information that you can use to win bets from your favorite pigeon.

Bet Your Favorite Pigeon
Bet your favorite pigeon that he can't spell the name of the State Fossil.
He might know the name of the State Fossil, but the odds are very high that he can't correctly spell its name: Ichthyosaur.

— Don Quilici is the Outdoor editor for Carson Now. Don's wife, Elaine, is the Outdoor photographer. They live in Carson City and can be reached at donquilici@hotmail.com

Top Stories

... or see all stories

Members of the Rotary Club of Carson City will learn how its annual Educational Grant has helped local students at the club’s next meeting. Carson School District K-12 Curriculum & Assessment Coordinator Brittany Witter received the club’s Carson City School District’s Professional Development Center Grant last year with the goal of funding the “Literacy and Love of Reading through Social Studies” project.

Western Nevada College hosted a ceremony to celebrate students succeeding in training to reestablish themselves in the workforce on Thursday.

Perfection in a fur coat is the best way to describe Cher, our cat of the week. Just 7 months old, she is a pretty little short-haired girl with a sweet and social personality.

Carson High School's Senior in the Spotlight this week is Parker Schmid, a remarkable young man whose sparkle radiates in every aspect of his life. From academics to extracurriculars, Parker's journey embodies excellence and compassion, traits that set him apart from his peers.

UPDATE 6 p.m.: Courtesy of the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office: On May 3, 2024 at approximately 1430 hours, Lyon County Sheriff’s Deputies responded along with Central Lyon County, Carson City and Storey County Fire personnel to the area of 34 Newman Ln. for a report of motorhome on fire. Upon arrival, it was discovered that the fire had spread and multiple other abandoned vehicles caught fire as well. No one was hurt or injured during the incident. The incident is currently under investigation, which is being conducted by the Nevada State Fire Marshall’s Division.

UPDATE 2:38 p.m.: Firefighters from Storey are also now responding.

UPDATE 2:33 p.m.: Multiple vehicles on the property are engulfed in flame.

***

Around 2:15 p.m. a fire was reported at 34 Newman Lane in Mound House.

Firefighters from Carson City and Lyon County are enroute to the scene.

UPDATE 1:20 p.m.: According to Sheriff Ken Furlong, a student reported they saw a weapon. The incident was investigated and there was no weapon found. The lockdown has now been lifted and students are leaving the school.

UPDATE 1:15 p.m.: Update 05-03-24 at 1:15 p.m.
One student has reported an alleged weapon sighting. It has not been corroborated, but school officials and the sheriff’s office are investigating out an abundance of caution.

***

UPDATE 12:50 p.m.: The following update was provided by the district:

Carson High School was put on lockdown this afternoon around 12:15 p.m. No person was injured. There is an active situation being investigated in cooperation with the Carson City Sheriff’s Office. We will provide more information as it becomes known. The school is secure. Do not go to the school. No entrances will be permitted at time. The district will provide updates every 30 minutes. Expect the next update at 1:15 p.m.

***

Carson High School is currently on a lockdown as of 12:40 p.m. Friday, but there has been no incident reported according to Sheriff Ken Furlong.

Two School Resource Officers are on scene investigating why the alarm went off.

The Lyon County Board of County Commissioners heard a presentation from the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) on the current status of the Highway 50 Preservation Project in Dayton.

Kids ages 8-14: Join Skiing is Believing at Western Nevada college for our multidiscplinary sport & fitness camp! Every day of every week, Skiing is Believing staff will help provide a variety of sports for kids to develop their physical skills and promote emotional development through exercise and community service.

After months of thorough community engagement and meticulous deliberation, Douglas County has announced the completion of its new Strategic Plan. This document, which will guide the County's decisions and resource allocation for the next five years, is the result of extensive input from both internal and external stakeholders.

The unpredictability of spring this first weekend of May continues with the threat of snow showers in the Sierra on Saturday, along with gusty winds and rain down to the valley floors for Carson City and surrounding areas. The storm system should moved out by Sunday morning.

Carson High School Culinary Arts and Early Childhood Education students competed at the three-day state conference last month for Nevada Family, Career and Community Leaders of America. This was the first time the school’s programs participated in the conference. A total of 25 students competed in eight events.

Family fun, lively bands and historical characters return to Dangberg Historic Park in Minden beginning in May. Favorite presenters, bands and Chautauquans will be joined by new ones as well.

Carson City’s former Board of Supervisor and business owner Stan Jones was posthumously awarded Thursday the Historic Preservation Award for his long time work for downtown Carson City.

Each year, a Historic Preservation Award is awarded by the Historic Resources Commission to Carson City residents or organizations who have gone above and beyond in their dedication to historic preservation.

The Nevada Law Enforcement Officers Memorial is today, Thursday, May 2 at the Nevada State Capitol in Carson City. The memorial brings hundreds to the capitol grounds. The ceremony begins at 1 p.m.

Douglas County Sheriff's Office arrested three for their alleged involvement in business thefts last month on Topsy Lane south of Carson City.

The national issue of suicide — particularly among veterans — touched many people who attended the Walk for Hope on Wednesday morning at Western Nevada College in Carson City.

The new renovations at the Carson City Senior Center opened the opportunity to host art shows to extend enrichment to the senior community. Carson City Senior Center presents “Geographical Divides: Finding Common Ground,” featuring 16 artists who were asked to explore the geographical and cultural differences in Nevada, if such differences truly exist.

Meet Nash, Nevada Humane Society, Carson City branch Pet of the Week Nash. He's a striking 2-year-old German Shepherd who entered our shelter a couple of weeks ago due to his previous owner's moving. With Nash's handsome appearance and endearing personality, this young man captures the hearts of all who meet him.

Time to dust off those ten-speeds Carson City, because May is Bike Month in the capital city!

Carson City’s Muscle Powered hosts bike month each year in addition to their year-round volunteerism.

More than 48 Carson High School Future Business Leaders of America students attended the state conference in Sparks, Nev. this past week. In total, 38 of those students earned 74 “Top-10” placements in 30 separate events. Additionally, three CHS FBLA students took state with first-place finishes and 15 of them qualified for the National Business Leadership Conference in Orlando, Fla. this coming June.

Carson Animal Services Initiative (CASI) would like to thank everyone who attended or contributed to our annual Bark Whine & Dine, held on April 27. What a wonderful event it was!

The inaugural Carson City Cinco de Mayo 2024 festival this Friday through Sunday will be a 3-day celebration of Mexican culture for all the Northern Nevada region to enjoy.

In recognition of Historic Preservation and Archeological Awareness Month, the City’s Historic Resources Commission has organized the 2024 Scavenger Hunt.

We’re back, bigger and better than ever! Please welcome the second annual Mark Twain Days, May 10-12. For a listing of events take a gander at the website here.

You will find something of interest or my name’s not Mark Twain, or used to be anyways. And this year Virginia City is joining in on the fun along with Carson City. Wow!

Marilyn "Mert" Paoli Lewis retired on April 30 after 42 years as a State Farm Agent. She started her career as a Scratch Agency in 1982, meaning she had no customers initially.

Food Bank of Northern Nevada made a stop to the Carson City Senior Center on Wednesday morning, with another stop at the Dayton Senior Center from 11 to noon.

The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles has announced the implementation of a new appointment system, WaitWell, in all metropolitan and rural offices throughout the state.

Meet up with others from the community to hear and share stories and experiences

CONNECTIONS social gatherings bring locals together weekly for story sharing, conversation and inspiration.

Join us every Saturday for Café CONNECTIONS from 10 to 11:30 am OR from noon to 1:30 p.m. at La Capital Cafe, 1795 E College Pkwy, Carson City.

Earlier this month, 11 students from Carson High School and six Carson Middle School and Eagle Valley Middle School students participated in the Annual American Choral Directors Association Nevada All State Choir event at the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

The Carson City Farmers Market returns to the capital city Saturday, June 8 at its new home in Mills Park. Each year, the market continues to grow, and this year is no exception with 11 new vendors added to the roster.