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Bostick Weir
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A) Aerial image of the Weir and its impoundment
taken soon
after completion, August 2003 and B) Bostick in May 2006. |
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| Vern Bostick and Gerry Hester |
The Bostick Weir, named after local conservationist Vern Bostick, was completed in 2003. The relatively
large size of the structure made it the first on the Wash to require a Nevada State Dam Safety permit. The weir’s structure
type is confined rock riprap, chosen because of its practicality, low cost, and more natural appearance.
The structure is designed as a two-stage weir. The upstream slope is 3:1, and the weir section
has a minimum width of 16 feet and a length of 760 feet. The structure has a low flow weir elevation of 1,508.5 feet.
The existing channel bed immediately below the weir section lies at approximately 1,498 feet. To meet expected future
channel bed scour conditions, the structure's apron floor is set at an elevation of 1,490 feet.
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| Construction of Bostick Weir, May 2003 |
About 45 acres of land were impacted by the weir construction activities. This acreage includes the permanent
structure, areas graded within the channel, and construction equipment and material staging areas. The footprint
of the structure itself is approximately 8 acres.
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| Great Blue Heron and Snowy Egret |
On October 25, 2003, tons of volunteers joined the Wash Project Team for the
5th Wash Green-Up and helped plant some of the impacted
area with native plant species. These efforts further armor the channel banks against erosion and improve habitat
for the many species of wildlife that inhabit the Wash.
Now that the structure is complete, a large, shallow pond has developed immediately upstream of the weir,
providing habitat for a variety of waterbirds and fish. Raptors, such as the Peregrine falcon, Osprey, and
Northern Harrier have been seen hunting for their next meal among the pond’s new inhabitants.
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