Monthly Archives: March 2017

Tahoe releases increase; higher flows from snow melt, rain

Google Earth Image from June 2011 Truckee River at Lake Tahoe

Flows from Lake Tahoe to the Truckee River jumped 40% yesterday to 700 cubic-feet-per-second. Lake Tahoe continues to rise standing 6,227.07 feet above sea level. The Lake rose nearly 3 inches over the past 7 days. Truckee River flows surged during the week topping out at nearly 7,000 CFS through Reno and Sparks on March 22. Current Truckee River flows run at slightly more than 5,000 CFS in Sparks.

Tahoe water surface elevation and Truckee River flow at Farad, CA on March 23, 2017.

Tahoe water surface elevation and Truckee River flow at Farad, CA on March 23, 2017.

Increased flows from Lake Tahoe come before snow melt begins in earnest. More storms – although not as strong as previous storms – are expected to continue through the weekend adding additional precipitation and snowpack to the Tahoe and Truckee River basins. Tahoe stands four feet above its rim and 2 feet below its maximum elevation dictated by court decree. Tahoe has risen above its maximum elevation during periods of extreme precipitation events such as occurred in 1997.

 

Releases from Lake Tahoe increase from 500 CFS to 700 CFS on March 23, 2017.

Releases from Lake Tahoe increase from 500 CFS to 700 CFS on March 23, 2017.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Google Earth Image from June 2011 Truckee River at Lake Tahoe

Google Earth Image from June 2011 Truckee River at Lake Tahoe

Truckee rising slowly with warming weather

As some of the snowpack melts during the past several days, flows in the Truckee River are increasing. Today, flows through Reno reached 2,200 cubic-feet-per-second (CFS) rising more than 400 CFS over the past 5 days. The Federal Watermaster continues to hold flows out of Lake Tahoe to 500 CFS.

The Natural Resource Conservation Service in an Reno Gazette-Journal story that the Sierra around Tahoe could exceed the previous record snowpack set in 1983. The March 1 snow survey showed that the Truckee River basin was at more than 200 percent of normal.

Truckee River Delta at Pyramid Lake March 4.

Truckee River Delta at Pyramid Lake March 4.

Fluoridated water for Truckee Meadows not solution

A bill, AB 193, that just had a Nevada Assembly Committee hearing last Tuesday, would mandate that the Truckee Meadows Water Authority (TMWA) add fluoride to our community’s high quality drinking water.  The bill should come again before the Assembly Natural Resources Committee; reports are that the committee members appeared favorable to the Legislation. The legislators appear willing to overrule the voters of Washoe County who rejected water fluoridation by a 58% to 42% vote in 2002. Continue reading