The Hawthorne Army Depot is the largest ammunition storage depot in the world, and it houses the most up-to-date and versatile demilitarization facility in the United States.
HWAD is also the largest employer in Mineral County and the largest industrial activity in Nevada.
However, there’s more than munitions and people on the nearly 150,000 acres.
HWAD — located 120 miles south of Reno, Nevada, and 40 miles east of the Sierra Nevada Mountains — straddles Highway 95 on the south shore of Walker Lake, just east of the Wassuk mountain range, from which Mount Grant rises 11,285 feet above the valley. HWAD’s administrative area sits between Walker Lake to the north and Hawthorne (pop. 3,269), the county seat, to the south.
Mount Grant is the primary watershed for HWAD, and groundwater is collected at the Black Beauty Reservoir from Rose Creek, Cat Creek, and House Creek prior to water treatment. The reservoir impounds water from seven different sources out of the Wassuck mountain range immediately west of the depot.
The reservoir was constructed in 1952 while Hawthorne was controlled by the United States Navy. In 1977, the depot was transferred to the Army as part of the Single Manager for Conventional Ammunition.
Thanks to the Army's 15-year plan for modernizing its Organic Industrial Base, the Black Beauty Reservoir is presently undergoing renovations. Prior to commencement of the project, the reservoir was inoperable, and the restoration of Black Beauty is of utmost importance as it directly supports the core competencies of HWAD. It is imperative that the reservoir be operational by 2027 to avoid potential loss of water rights. In the meantime, the depot is relying on a secondary backup water source (groundwater) and an emergency intertie with the utilities of the city of Hawthorne, sourced from a single county well. This reliance is placing strain on the county's water supply and infrastructure.
“The refurbishment project at the Black Beauty Reservoir is essential to HWAD’s future,” said Larry Cruz, HWAD’s commander’s representative. “The reservoir is central to the depot’s water supply, fire protection, and potable water system. The reservoir has a capacity of 50 million gallons and is a critical part of HWAD’s self-sustaining water resiliency effort. The water is utilized in the demilitarization process, irrigation, and human consumption.
“Black Beauty’s purpose is to provide an off-stream fresh water source used for collection, disinfection, and distribution for HWAD’s mission,” Cruz added. “Without Black Beauty’s source-water holding capacity, HWAD’s mission is in jeopardy.”
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