Category Archives: Keep it flowing

Cities, towns, development, farms, ranches take water from the Truckee River – some years taking nearly its entire flow

American Dipper in the Truckee

American Dipper at Idlewild Park in Reno January 3, 2015

Ever see a small dark bird bouncing on rocks then diving into the water in the Truckee?  Most likely you’ve spied an American Dipper called by some a water ouzel.  Dippers are quick to disappear on their dives and can reappear elsewhere in the stream with amazing speed.

Today we took a walk along the river at Idlewild Park and were happy to spend some time watching a dipper doing its bouncing dance along the rocks (and ice) in the river.  Dippers have been known to nest under bridges in downtown Reno.  They are commonly seen also at Mayberry Park.  They can be found year round, but easier to see, I think, in the winter.  Here is a short video showing their typical behavior.

Normal drought or climate-change drought?

The snow pack for the Truckee River and Lake Tahoe is below normal for the end of December– again.  The Reno Gazette-Journal reported the Truckee River basin snowpack at 67% and the Lake Tahoe snowpack at 44% of “normal”.  December and January are usually the heavy lifters when it comes to providing the bulk of the moisture collected in the Sierra Nevada.  What the rest of the winter has in store for us remains an unknown.

Scientists at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the University of Minnesota reported December 4, 2014 that the current California Drought is the worst in 1,200 years (at least).  The scientists analyzed growth rings on Blue Oaks growing in California to reach that conclusion and implicate human-caused climate change as the reason.  While droughts have always occurred, the current one is worse because of both increased temperature as well as decreased precipitation.

An icy Truckee River flows into Pyramid Lake on New Years Day 2015. Pyramid Lake levels have fallen dramatically since 2000.

An icy Truckee River flows into Pyramid Lake on New Years Day 2015. Pyramid Lake levels have fallen dramatically since 2000.

Forbes published yesterday an article “No doubt it’s a climate-change drought, scientists say” quoting Jonathan Overpeck with the Institute of the Environment at the University of Arizona saying, “Of course everyone knows California’s drought has been for three years, rain so far has been helpful, there’s a snowpack in the Sierra Nevada’s that is about 50 percent of normal thanks to recent precipitation, but that hasn’t stopped the drought. The drought is still going to be the story at the end of the year, I think.”  He went on to say, ““To frame the drought we should be mentioning that much of the southwest and west has been in drought now for nearly 15 years, since 1999…”

While many in Nevada (and California) are hopeful that this year will see a turn-around and we’ll see above normal winter snows by the 1st of April, the last 15 years should give us pause for expecting that the drought will simply end and everything will return to “normal” in the long-run.  Climate change is the new dragon in the room.

December 30, 2014 Drought Monitor Map

December 30, 2014 Drought Monitor Map

Related articles across the web

WOW? Wind on Water effect?

Lake Tahoe Storm at Sand Harbor

We had some very high winds in the last storm in the mountains and apparently at Lake Tahoe, too. (BTW, the storm didn’t do diddly squat here in Reno and not much for the Truckee River either as far as I can tell, but more on that later).

High winds actually brought out surfers to Lake Tahoe and a photo in the RGJ showed them on their boards during the high winds (you’ll have to look around in the current story a bit to find the photo).

I’m wondering if those strong winds aren’t responsible for the interesting graph of Tahoe’s water elevation that the USGS collects near Tahoe City, CA.  First you see a very big increase in the level of the water level (2.4″ rise), followed by a sharp decrease of the water level by an even greater amount, then followed by a slower rise of more than an inch and then a gradual decrease.  Could it be that water is being pushed by the wind?  Then rolling back as the wind slacks off?  I’d be interested to hear from experts on this topic.

Lake Tahoe 'bathtub' effect from strong wind?

Lake Tahoe ‘bathtub’ effect from strong winds on December 11, 2014?

Pyramid still not benefitting from additional river flows

The Truckee River flows are up again through Reno, right?  So that water is going to Pryamid Lake, you’re thinking?  Of course, those giant cutthroat trout that folks try to catch at Pyramid Lake are getting the benefit of the water finally flowing in the river?

In reality, as the river comes up, the Truckee River is tapped by the Newlands Project.  The water diversion 15 miles east of Sparks at Derby Dam sends the Truckee’s increased flows of water through a canal to fill the reservoir on the Carson River.  Lahontan Reservoir stores water to be used by farmers in the Fallon area.  Lahontan sits outside of the Truckee River watershed and Truckee River water only reaches it through the man-made canal built 110 years ago.

The graphic which follows shows what happened between November 1st and today, December 11, 2014.  As the river flows increased starting around November 28, more and more water was taken out of the Truckee River and sent through the canal to Lahontan Reservoir.  So instead of 350 CFS flowing into Pyramid Lake today, the majority of the water is diverted to Lahontan.  Pyramid Lake receives just about 110 CFS while about 240 CFS heads to the reservoir (December 11, 2014).  [Click on the graph to see a larger version.]  No wonder that Pyramid Lake has fallen more than 25 feet during the past 14 year drought.  [See post “Just 14 years ago”]

Graphic of Truckee River flows: Pyramid Lake doesn't benefit from increasing flows in River

Graphic of Truckee River flows: Pyramid Lake doesn’t benefit from increasing flows in River

The blue symbols represent Truckee River flows just below Reno at Vista, the yellow symbols flows near Pyramid Lake, and the red symbols flows in the diversion canal.  (Diversions from the Truckee River have taken the lion’s share of water during the 3 year drought.)

So rivers do flow on – except when they aren’t allowed to.

Wet Storm Approaches –

Winter Storm Approach on December 11, 2014 at 11:21 AM (National Weather Service Radar)

As I write this, it is raining from Monterey, CA to Redding, CA.  Rain has moved into the northern Sierra and even sprinkles of rain with strong winds in Reno.  It is 58º F, too, so it is likely to be raining in the mountains rather than snowing.   Has the weather shifted to a wet pattern that will bring significant amounts of rain and snow to benefit the Truckee River?  Has the high pressure that has come to dominate our weather gone bye-bye?  If it comes back again to dominate the weather for the far west and southwest, then what?

Winter Storm Approach on December 11, 2014 at 11:21 AM (National Weather Service Radar)

Winter Storm Approach on December 11, 2014 at 11:21 AM (National Weather Service Radar)