Outlet Gates and Gatekeeper's Cabin
Also known as: Historic Gatekeeper`s Log House and Site
Why it's listed
This two-acre wooded site sits at the only outlet of Lake Tahoe, where the Truckee River begins in Tahoe City. It includes a turn-of-the-century log house built of logs from a local sawmill, dated 1909. The gatekeeper used it as an office to record the lake's height and control water released downstream toward Nevada. Beside it are the outlet gates, first built in 1870. Control of those gates sparked the 'Tahoe Water War' between lakeshore owners and downstream river users, a dispute that lasted two decades and ended in 1910-11 when methods for measuring water content in snow allowed better prediction of lake and river levels. The site is also tied to Dat-So-La-Lee, a renowned basket weaver who worked in front of the cabin's location. Supporters hoped to keep the grounds as public open space and create a museum. The log house was later destroyed by fire, while the dam and gates remained the significant surviving elements.
Significance in brief: The log house was described as one of the oldest at North Lake Tahoe and was proposed as a museum of early Tahoe history. The adjacent outlet gates were central to the 'Tahoe Water War' between lakeshore owners and downstream Truckee River users, settled in 1910-11. The site is also linked to the basket weaver Dat-So-La-Lee, who wove there.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 72000245, listed December 13, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | U.S. 89 at mouth of Truckee River, Tahoe City |
|---|---|
| County | Placer County |
| Listed | December 13, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72000245 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1909 |
| Areas of significance | Native American, Engineering, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Later documents record that the log cabin was burned and judged beyond restoration in 1979; the dam and gates were considered to retain integrity, and the site was to remain listed with the cabin no longer a contributing element. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 39.16663, -120.14343 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 72000245.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.