300 Howard Dr, Sparks, NV 89434

Sparks Marina

Park Description:

Sparks Marina is a 109-acre, ADA-accesible Sparks park with restrooms. The park features a 2-mile loop walking trail and the 77-acre Helms Lake with two beaches and a fishing pier. Park hours are 6 a.m.-10 p.m.

Park Amenities:

Playground, volleyball courts, pathways, bike paths, dog park, picnic area, canopies, and tables/benches.

Park Contact Information:

City of Sparks - Parks & Recreation (775) 353-2376

Park Highlights

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Park History

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From Pit to Pond

From 1968 to 1995 the Helm’s Construction Company owned the land which is now the Sparks Marina. When this land was in the Helm’s Construction Companies’ possession, the land was used as a 100 ft deep gravel pit.

In 1987 a leak of petroleum products was discovered seeping into the pit from an oil tank farm located a mile away. This site was declared a “Toxic Superfund Site” and cleanup commenced on the area. The land that is now Sparks Marina was granted to the City of Sparks in 1996 when the groundwater tested free of all petrochemicals. The City of Sparks used the money won from the spill mitigation fees to turn the gravel pit into a recreational pond for the community. The City of Sparks was going to change the 100 ft pit into a 30 ft pond, but the Truckee River had different plans for the area. In 1997 the Truckee River flooded and filled the pond fully in two days which was thereafter kept at 100 ft instead of making it the shallow 30 ft!

The Marina Today

At 100 feet deep and 77 acres across, the Spark Marina is a natural aquifer which is fed by groundwater (an estimated 1-3 million gallons of water seep into this lake daily). Because of the excess groundwater feeding this lake, everyday the city has to pump 1-2 million gallons of water from the pond into the Truckee River to keep the pond level stable. The sand on the beach at Sparks Marina was brought in from Lake Tahoe.

According to Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW), the marina is stocked with many different kinds of fish including: “Rainbow, cutthroat, and brown trout, spotted bass, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, green sunfish, channel catfish, bullhead catfish, and carp!” Boats are allowed on the lake as long as they are either motorless or have an electric motor. To read the fishing and boating regulations, visit NDOW's website.

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Support our parks by volunteering with the Parks Foundation! Attend a volunteer event or choose an ongoing role. Click here to explore opportunities.

iNaturalist:

Out in our parks or open spaces? Try cataloguing the biodiversity around you with iNaturalist! All it takes is downloading the iNaturalist app onto your phone to get started.

Curious what's been seen in this park? Click the link below to see what species other have spotted!

Sparks Marina on iNaturalist

Contact:

Have a question about our parks or the Parks Project? Email us at parksproject@tmparksfoundation.org!

Want To Learn More?

References & Further Info:

City of Sparks - Sparks Marina
Self Guided Hiking Page.
City of Sparks Park Map.
Sparks Marina Park Map.
City of Sparks: Details about Sparks Marina can be found here.
Nevada Department of Wildlife: Sparks Marina Pond.
KUNR: “The Sparks Marina: Past, Present, and Future.”
Backyard Traveler by Rich Moreno: “The Gravel Pit That Became a Lake.”
New to Reno: “Sparks Marina Park and Helms Lake.”
City of Sparks YouTube Video: Sparks Marina.

Contributor(s):

Haley McGuire (history, ammenities, etc.)

Alex Shahbazi

Last Updated:

September 15, 2023 at 4:30:40 PM

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