Workshop to plan for 2018

Since the One Truckee River Management Plan's adoption by Reno, Sparks and Washoe County in September 2016, stakeholders have accomplished a lot of action items. Mile makers have been installed; amenities along the river were mapped; a community knowledge survey about the Truckee River watershed was distributed; life jacket stations were installed at parks... we could go on.For the year 2018, we approached things a little differently. Instead of completing action items based on money we (Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful and Nevada Land Trust) knew we had or could get, we gathered the troops to decide what our approach would be.One Truckee River is undergoing a structural change. Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful and Nevada Land Trust are working to include local agencies more in the leadership positions. This OTR workshop, held on Tuesday, December 19, 2017, allowed KTMB and NLT to take a seat at the table as equal participants.During our September 2017 Partnership Council meeting, four topics were decided upon by the group to address during 2018:

  1. Signage Plan & River Safety: Includes creating a multi-jurisdictional signage plan along the Truckee River and enhancing river visitor safety.​
  2. Funding, Metrics For Success, Structure: Includes assessing existing groups and structures for possible entities to house the management of OTR; and creating metrics for measuring success and achievements of the plan.​
  3. Housing and Sanitation: Includes ensuring adequate public restrooms along the Truckee River; and expanding the continuum of housing options for the homeless population.​
  4. Storm Water, Vegetation, Watershed Management: Includes identifying locations of all high-volume storm drains/large storm water contributions to the river; developing a coordinated vegetation management plan along the river; and developing a Truckee River Watershed Management Plan.​

Volunteers came forward to co-captain each team. These co-captains were responsible for building their teams with appropriate experts in the field. The co-captains:

Signage Plan & River Safety: ​Darrin Price, Sun Valley GID General Manager​Cheryl Surface, Washoe County Park Planner​

Funding, Metrics For Success, Structure: ​John Enloe, Truckee Meadows Water Authority Director of Natural Resources​Birgit Henson, Nevada Division of Environmental Protection Branch Supervisor​

Housing and Sanitation: ​Mickey Hazelwood, The Nature Conservancy Truckee River Project Director​Sheila Leslie, Washoe County Behavioral Health Program Coordinator​

Storm Water, Vegetation, Watershed Management: ​Danielle Henderson, Truckee River Flood Management Authority Natural Resource Manager​Tracy Turner, former Chief Philanthropy Officer with the Community Foundation of Western Nevada​

Yesterday, during the forum, each group gathered to address exactly which strategies will be addressed (and ideally completed, though it depends on the action item) during next year. The groups will meet regularly, under the co-captains' guidance, and make sure progress is moving forward.

We're thrilled to see where the year 2018 takes us, and how much closer we'll get to caring for the Truckee River, and showing it the love it deserves.

Efforts, Meeting, One River