Introducing to the Public: The Truckee River Dashboard!
This month, Nevada Tomorrow amended its quality of life dashboards, which compare indicators for our community against state averages, county values, and target goals.
The latest addition? The Truckee River Dashboard – which follows the structure of the One Truckee River (OTR) Management Plan, Phase I. The new dashboard provides updated and accessible data, keeping the public informed of the results of the ongoing work to protect and improve the river. The dashboard tracks progress towards three goals, which were identified by the OTR Partnership Council in our Management Plan.
Here are the three goals the dashboard indicators track – and how each connects to regional successes from both OTR’s partners and our organization’s work.
Goal 1: Ensure and protect water quality and ecosystem health in the Truckee River.
The values tracked within the dashboard are the river’s “vitals” – indicators that are important when evaluating the overall health of a river. They include dissolved oxygen, total dissolved solids, and water temperature. For each, data is collected at three to four testing stations along the Truckee River.
These indicators provide valuable information related to the health of water in the river. Knowing that creek restoration, riverbank repair, and restorative vegetation management efforts can protect water quality. For instance, riverbank repair projects stabilize riverbank slopes, decreasing erosion that limits sedimentation into the river, which affects the amount of total dissolved solids in the water. The collaborative Gold Ranch Fire restoration project along the Truckee River in Verdi is an example of this work.
Let’s take a closer look at total dissolved solids (TDS), and why they matter. The most common TDS are calcium, sodium, potassium, sulfate, silica, magnesium, and chloride – with salinity making up the majority. Measurements are taken every 15 minutes at each of four stations, every day of the year. Monitoring TDS is especially important to the Truckee River because it flows into Pyramid Lake, where elevated concentrations have been shown to be associated with reduced growth rates for phytoplankton and zooplankton, the base of the food chain for fish including Cui-ui and Laontan Cutthroat Trout.
Goal 2: Create and sustain a safe, beautiful, and accessible river connecting people and places.
The dashboard indicators tracked are: amenities available along the Truckee River, pounds of litter and green waste removed from the river, the percentage of renters spending more than 30% of their incomes on housing, and the number of unhoused individuals reported through the Point-in-Time Count. The focus of these indicators vary a lot, yet together they share a story about the Truckee River in our region.
“Amenities available along the Truckee River” is an important indicator, as parks and recreation improve communities through their economic value, healthy living and environmental and social benefits providing amenities supports fitness and improves spaces for connecting with nature and destressing. The dashboard tracks these amenities, including picnic areas, public restrooms, dog waste receptacles, bike racks, and more! At One Truckee River, we’re improving public facilities by installing and advocating for restrooms along the river. Additionally, the dashboard recognizes that parks are a tangible reflection of the quality of life in our region – improving property values, providing an important buffer between our urban environment and the river, and creating space needed for our floodplain.
In Washoe County, 51.8% of households spend more than 30% of their incomes on housing (including both rent and utilities). This percentage has been increasing over time and positions our county in the worst 25% of US counties for affordability, according to the American Community Survey, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The annual Point-in-Time Count, which includes individuals sleeping outside, living in motels, and staying in shelters, takes place on one day in late January each year. Like the cost-of-housing indicator, the Point-in-Time count is also increasing in Washoe County. The One Truckee River Management Plan recognizes that housing affordability and homelessness are complex issues. Regional improvements in these topics not only support individuals’ stability, but the river flowing through the heart of our community.
Goal 3: Build an aware and engaged community that protects and cares for the river.This dashboard indicator also tracks river cleanup volunteers and student participation in environmental education programs.
This dashboard indicator also tracks river cleanup volunteers and student participation in environmental education programs.
For example, it reports on data collected from the biggest annual Truckee River Cleanup. Every year Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful organizes its September Truckee River Cleanup, with 20+ volunteer sites and 700+ volunteers, as well as other community cleanups throughout the year. Many community groups (including One Truckee River) support the effort by leading and sponsoring work sites along the river. Volunteer projects include planting trees, removing invasive species, picking up litter, storm-drain stenciling, graffiti removal, and other park beautification work. Just as significant, is the number of students in Northern Nevada participating in Truckee River educational programming, increasing their connections to our river and understanding of the complexity of the environmental issues it faces.
Take a Closer Look
We invite you to dive into the new Truckee River Dashboard! It’s a great resource for learning more about the health of the Truckee River in Nevada and how local data compares to national numbers. The launch of this dashboard is a big step forward, providing the public with a central online location for understanding the river’s health and results of the work going on in our region to protect it.