Pleistocene Lake Lahontan covered much of western Nevada, with a peak level around 15,000 years ago. As the lake level dropped over the ensuing millennia, wave action along the shore caused substantial erosion, as the lake was still large enough to generate surf. In some cases, the wave action carved out overhangs along the shore, as the surf dug into the material at the shoreline. In addition, due to the chemistry of Lake Lahontan, tufa, a freshwater limestone, was deposited abundantly around the lake, and tufa deposits encrusted the shoreline…
