Our 10 Favorite Things About the Truckee River in 2025
What’s your favorite thing about the Truckee River? From recreation to restoration, wildlife to wildflowers, it was tough for us to pick just 10. Check out year-end list below!
10. Riverside Events
From music to markets, food festivals to public art exhibitions, there are dozens of amazing ways to get out and about along the Truckee River year-round, while spending time with our neighbors and appreciating the beautiful range of expression our community has to offer.
9. Buffer Strips
Planting flowers along the edges of our lawns may feel like a small change - yet this landscaping feature is a fantastic way to protect the Truckee River. Rainstorms can push fertilizers and/or pesticides from our lawns down our storm drains, which flows into our river. A strip of native plants between our lawns and the pavement reduces this runoff.
8. Riverbank Restoration
In the aftermath of the 2024 Gold Ranch Fire, we’ve been working alongside our partners to restore and stabilize the burn areas along the Truckee River – reducing the risk of erosion and sedimentation. With our funding recently extended, we look forward to continuing and expanding restoration work in 2026!
7. Wildlife Watching
Whether you join a community event or head out on your own, our local riverside parks are great places to observe and learn about the flora and fauna that call the Truckee Meadows home.
6. Planting Native Trees
In 2025, our volunteers worked alongside the One Truckee River Workforce Program crew, our partner organizations, and local municipalities to add hundreds of native trees, shrubs, and grasses to the Truckee River’s shoreline, as well as Lake Park. These native plants are increasing the tree canopy while providing essential wildlife habitat.
5. The Truckee River Water Trail
Our local on-water route presents world-class paddling, tubing, and fishing, as well as adjacent shoreline activities like hiking, biking, picnicking, and camping.
4. The River-Friendly Living Demonstration Garden
Watching the garden grow in, thrive, and enhance Lake Park and its surrounding neighborhood. Just as importantly, it’s serving our community as a resource to learn more about Truckee River-Friendly yards practices and native plants that do well in our high desert environment.
3. The One Truckee River Workforce Program
We might be just a little bit biased here. While environmental and social goals in urban areas can sometimes be pitted against one another, OTR’s Workforce Program is combining invasive plant removal, revegetation efforts, and a workforce development program for disadvantaged members of our community.
2. Clean Drinking Water
Truckee River provides 80% of the drinking water for the Truckee Meadows region, supporting 400,000+ people and 7,000+ businesses.
1. YOU!
As a nonprofit organization, we couldn’t do what we do without you. Thank you to everyone who joined us this year in caring for, learning about, and protecting the Truckee River. Whether you’re an event participant, a member of our Partnership Coalition, a donor, or simply someone who reminds their friends “let’s not do that” when recreating along the river, we appreciate you. Thank you for helping us work to ensure a healthy, thriving, and sustainable Truckee River at the heart of our community.