Archive for the ‘Truckee River’ Tag
By Tim Hauserman
Just after the recent rains I took a walk through 64 Acres in Tahoe City and noticed two changes in progress in my favorite little city where the lake and river meet. First, the Truckee River is again running underneath the Lake Tahoe Dam, and second, the pathway of the new Fanny Bridge bypass can now be clearly seen, with construction scheduled to begin next summer.
The River
After falling below Lake Tahoe’s natural rim this past September, the Truckee River stopped running from it’s source. Now, after recent heavy rain and snow, the Truckee River again rose to the point where a small stream topped over the natural rim and again is running from it’s source towards Pyramid Lake. The outflow from the lake was very small, which is good news because during the rain event, the Truckee River came close to flood status in both Truckee and Reno. Once the rains stopped, Truckee River homeowners got to breathe a sigh of relief instead of mucking out there living rooms.
The Fanny Bridge Bypass
A swath of trees were just cut to delineate the pathway for the soon to be built Fanny Bridge bypass road. It runs through “64 Acres” just a bit to the south of the road which provides access for rafting and to the Tahoe City Transit Center. For those driving to Tahoe City from the West Shore, once the project is complete, you will encounter a roundabout with the choice to go north over a soon to be rebuilt Fanny Bridge, or to the west to go through 64 Acres and across the Truckee River on a new bridge. After crossing the river onto Highway 89, there will be another roundabout near the Cal-Trans lot. This one will go towards Truckee in one direction, and back to Tahoe City in the other. A third roundabout will replace the stop light at the entrance to Tahoe City and give drivers the same options they have now: Tahoe City, Truckee, or over Fanny Bridge to the West Shore.
THINK OF ME, LYNN RICHARDSON, FOR ALL OF YOUR LAKE TAHOE AND TRUCKEE REAL ESTATE NEEDS!
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Early morning along the Truckee, about a half mile downstream from Fanny Bridge
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By Tim Hauserman
Recently there was a great deal of excitement when Lake Tahoe once again rose up to it’s natural rim of 6223 feet and a trickle of water again began flowing through the Truckee River Dam. After a few years of well below normal precipitation it is pretty dang special to see the lake level rise. But there is something just as exciting as the rising of the lake: Once again, the Truckee River is running.
Sure, the river near Tahoe City is certainly not a raging torrent, but water is moving and cleansing out the stagnant pools that were there during the drought. Once again the Truckee River has become a shangra la for ducks, fish and humans. While Lake Tahoe, Donner Lake and the masses of high Sierra granite that surround those beautiful bodies of water are certainly the primary focal point of life in the Tahoe-Truckee region, the Truckee River is truly a gem that is often overlooked.
Several years ago, when the river ran strong all summer long, I lived in the Comstock Acres/Granlibakken area just a two minute walk from the banks of the Truckee River. My afternoon ritual to clean out the cobwebs caused by too much time staring at a computer trying to put together scintillating sentences, was to venture down to the river for a dip.
The river’s water was always several degrees warmer then Lake Tahoe, which was certainly a plus, but my favorite part was that you could just get in the water and float downstream. I would often make my way to the bike bridge across the river at the 64 Acres parking lot, then ease into the gently flowing current. I would float a few hundred yards downstream to an exit point opposite the Tahoe City Lumber Company. From there, I would walk home and confront those sentences again, or If I needed extra brain cleansing, I would walk up stream and do it again.
Hopefully this summer the water will flow through the river strong enough for swimming. Because there is nothing finer then lying on your back and gently floating down the Truckee without a care in the world…at least for a few hundred yards.
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Photo by Michelle Portesi
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THINK OF ME, LYNN RICHARDSON, FOR ALL OF YOUR LAKE TAHOE AND TRUCKEE REAL ESTATE NEEDS!
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By Michelle Portesi
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The last couple of years have been tough on all of California. The drought hurt everyone, and our lovely Lake Tahoe went below its natural rim, causing the Truckee River to stop flowing from its mouth at Tahoe City.
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Photo by Steve Tietze 2015 (From the ‘I love Lake Tahoe facebook page)
That may have made for some lovely seas of lupine where they normally wouldn’t be, but we’d much rather have the water.
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Lupine where there normally is lake, in Tahoe City. Photo by Michelle Portesi
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We had a strong winter, which was enough to fill Lake Tahoe back to its natural rim, and once again, the Truckee River is flowing from the dam in Tahoe City. Who knows, we may even see some river rafting again this year!
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Photo by Steve Tietze – Spring 2016 (From the ‘I love Lake Tahoe’ facebook page)
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And we’ve got more to come. Some of the peaks around the lake are still covered in snow, and more runoff is sure to make its way to the lake and the various streams and rivers. Rain still occasionally has been making an appearance, enough to keep everything looking lush and green. Keep it coming Mother Nature!
The Truckee River is flowing briskly, as is the Yuba River on Donner Summit and many streams and waterfalls along the way. It’s time to put on some hiking shoes or break out the bike and enjoy one of our lovely spring days along the body of water of your choice.
For more amazing photos, follow Steve Tietze on his facebook page: www.facebook.com/Gateway69 or on instagram – @aerialflightproductions
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THINK OF ME, LYNN RICHARDSON, FOR ALL OF YOUR LAKE TAHOE AND TRUCKEE REAL ESTATE NEEDS!
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