Truckee River
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| Truckee River | |
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| Origin | Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada range, California |
| Mouth | Pyramid Lake, Nevada |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Length | 140 mi (225 km) |
| Mouth elevation | 3,790 ft (1,155 m) |
The Truckee River is a river 140 miles (225 km) long in northern California and northern Nevada in the United States. It drains part of the high Sierra Nevada, emptying into Pyramid Lake in the Great Basin. Its waters are an important source of irrigation along its valley and adjacent valleys. The water is quite clear near Lake Tahoe, but the river turns muddy by the time it passes Reno, Nevada.
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[edit] Description
The river, here alternatively known as the Upper Truckee River, originates from the mountains south of Lake Tahoe, flowing into the lake at its south end before issuing once more from the lake's northwest side near Tahoe City, California. It flows generally northwest through the mountains to Truckee, California, then turns sharply to the east and flows into Nevada, past Reno and Sparks and along the northern end of the Carson Range. At Fernley it turns north, flowing along the east side of the Pah Rah Range and entering the southern end of Pyramid Lake, a remnant of prehistoric Lake Lahontan, in southern Washoe County in the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation.
[edit] Uses of the river
Like other rivers in the western United States, the Truckee's flow is highly regulated with most of the river water fully allocated via water rights. Disputes occur among those claiming the water. In the early 20th century, waters of the river were diverted as part of the Newlands Reclamation Act. Currently the Truckee-Carson Irrigation District supervises the diversion of approximately one-third of the river flow at the Derby Dam to the Lahontan Valley to irrigate alfalfa and pastures. Its water is also supplied to the resort communities surrounding Lake Tahoe, the greater metropolitan area of Reno and Sparks, and the Pyramid Lake Paiute Indian Reservation. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service uses some of the water to induce spawning of the endangered fish cui-ui and to provide drought relief. The river is heavily used for recreation, including whitewater rafting and fly fishing. A common rafting run is the River Ranch Run. Starting from the outlet gates at Lake Tahoe stretching about 3 miles (4.8 km), the run ends at the River Ranch Restaurant. These rapids are almost all class 1 and class 2. This is also the main run for commercial rafting companies, like the Truckee River Raft Company which has been running the river since 1973 and is the original rafting company. In Reno, many people use it for kayaking.
[edit] Hydrology and water quality
Because of the endangered species present and because the Lake Tahoe Basin comprises the headwaters of the Truckee River, the river has been the focus of several water quality investigations, the most detailed starting in the mid-1980s. Under direction of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a comprehensive dynamic hydrology transport model was developed by Earth Metrics Inc. The model's name was subsequently changed to DSSAM, and it was applied to analyze land use and wastewater management decisions throughout the Truckee River Basin of 3,120 square miles (8,081 km²) and to provide guidance in other U.S. river basins.[1] Analytes addressed included nitrogen, reactive phosphate, dissolved oxygen, total dissolved solids and nine other parameters. Based upon use of the model, some decisions have been influenced to enhance riverine quality and aid the viability of associated biota. Impacts upon the receiving waters of Pyramid Lake were also analyzed.
[edit] Darcy Farrow
Darcy Farrow, a folk song written by Steve Gillette and Tom Campbell mentions the Truckee River and other landmarks and places in the area (including Yerington, the Carson Valley, and Virginia City). The most popular version was performed by John Denver.
[edit] References
- ^ USEPA. 1991. Guidance for water quality-based decisions: The TMDL process. EPA 440/4-91-001. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water, Washington, DC.
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The Pioneers Go West
According to George R. Stewart in his book The Pioneers Go West, the river is named after the Paiute chief who showed a group of settlers the way in 1844. The chief's real name was not Truckee. His Paiute name was Tru-ki-zo. He was the father of Chief Winnemucca and grandfather of Sarah Winnemucca. The first people who came to cross the Sierra Nevada encountered his tribe. The friendly Chief rode toward them yelling "Tro-kay!", which is Paiute for "hello". The settlers assumed he was yelling his name. Chief Truckee later served as a guide for John C. Fremont
