Photo By Cecilia Flores | Brig. Gen. Daniel Duncan, the Joint Munitions Command’s commander, and Nevada...... read more read more
HAWTHORNE, Nev. (May 28, 2025) — Brig. Gen. Daniel Duncan, the Joint Munitions Command’s commander, served as the presiding official at the Hawthorne Army Depot to mark the restoration of the Black Beauty Reservoir.
The project focused on the infrastructure of the reservoir, which collects water from seven different sources out of the Wassuck mountain range.
The May 28 ceremony was attended by elected officials, Army senior leaders, and industry representatives.
“It is important to recognize that this effort was not just a technical undertaking — it was a mission-critical initiative that directly impacts the depot’s future and support to the warfighter,” said Courtney Isom, HWAD’s Commander’s Representative. “Without the reservoir, our demilitarization process becomes vulnerable, our fire suppression systems are compromised, and our personnel’s access to potable water is placed at risk.”
The newly renovated reservoir provides an off-stream fresh water source used for collection, disinfection, and distribution for HWAD’s mission.
HWAD, a subordinate installation of JMC, is the world's largest ammunition storage depot and is home to the most advanced and versatile demilitarization facility in the United States.
The Black Beauty Reservoir renovation was funded as a part of the Army’s Organic Industrial Base Modernization Plan that focuses on prioritizing and synchronizing resources to focus on critical facilities and capabilities which are necessary to sustain and build upon resource capacity for the Army’s current and developing systems to enable surge capacity.
Black Beauty was constructed by the U.S. Navy in 1952 and remained under Navy control until the depot’s transfer to the Army in 1977. The reservoir stores 50 million gallons of water and is utilized in demilitarization process and relied upon for irrigation and potable water throughout HWAD.
Prior to the renovation, the reservoir was inoperable, which placed a great strain on Mineral County’s water supply, and Black Beauty had to be fully operational by 2027 to avoid potential loss of water rights. Until the renovation was complete, HWAD used a secondary backup water source (groundwater) and an emergency intertie with the utilities of the city of Hawthorne, sourced from a single well.
To complete the project, the area was excavated and compacted, and a new liner was installed.
“The completion of this project is not simply a milestone; it is a commitment to the depot’s long-term resilience, an investment in our national security, and a pledge to the community that we stand together in safeguarding our shared resources,” Duncan said. “Let the Black Beauty Reservoir remind us of the interconnectedness of our mission, infrastructure, environmental stewardship, and operational readiness. This isn’t just about the Black Beauty Reservoir, it is about sustaining the mission, the people, and the future that depends on it.”
| Date Taken: | 05.29.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.30.2025 11:14 |
| Story ID: | 499282 |
| Location: | HAWTHORNE, NEVADA, US |
| Web Views: | 31 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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