How many of you have enjoyed a leisurely float on the Truckee River from Tahoe City to Alpine Meadows? How about fishing its brilliant waters on a long, summer day? Tackled her Class III and IV rapids? Picnicked along her banks or strolled along the Riverwalk District in downtown Reno?
If you’ve ever spent any time along the Truckee River, then you know that this amazing river is a site of wonder, a beautiful waterway and a place for respite and recreation. What you might not know is that the Truckee provides drinking water to many communities in Northern Nevada. That she is sacred to the Paiute who protect her waters at its terminus at Pyramid Lake. And, that she is in danger of pollution, overuse, mismanagement and human interactions.
Thankfully, there are a myriad of local agencies and nonprofits dedicated to protecting the Truckee River. Priya Hutner recently joined a unique paddling trek down part of the Truckee River organized by Rivers for Change to highlight the issues and the need to protect this vital resource. Along the way, she was taken by the beauty of the river, awed by the efforts to protect the Truckee River and unsettled by the threats to the river. “It was a reminder how interconnected and dependent we are on this beautiful river,” she writes in her feature “Saving the Truckee River” in this edition.
The next time you’re enjoying time on the Truckee River, remember to appreciate this natural resource and to respect her by packing out your litter.
