Get to Know the Truckee River

Did You Know?

The Truckee River is the only surface-water outflow from Lake Tahoe, with a 3,000 square mile river basin. The Truckee River Basin experiences wide fluctuations in annual runoff volumes, ranging from high water year averages of about 2,000,000 acre-feet to about 115,000 acre-feet in low water years.

The Truckee River is home to a vibrant ecosystem of plants and animals and is critical to maintaining Pyramid Lake’s endangered Cui-ui Lakesucker and threatened Lahontan Cutthroat Trout.

The Truckee River provides 85% of the drinking water for the Truckee Meadows region, supporting 400,000+ people and 7,000+ businesses. It’s fed by Tahoe, Donner, Independence, Boca, Stampede, and Prosser Lakes, as well as direct snowmelt and smaller streams.

People have lived, traveled, gathered, hunted, and fished along the Truckee River and its tributaries for more than 10,000 years. The Truckee River is located on the ancestral lands of the Wa She Shu (Washoe) and Numu (Northern Paiute), whose descendants still consider it sacred. Members of the 3 Great Basins Tribes - the Paiute, the Shoshone and the Washoe - continue to care for the river and its resources today.

The 121-mile Truckee River corridor is managed and regulated by many federal, state, local, and tribal authorities. One Truckee River coordinates collaborative projects, secures resources, and works with partners to support agencies, businesses, and the public in protecting the Truckee River - bridging the gaps between these groups.

Are you looking for a centralized hub of information about the Truckee River?

The Truckee River Online Library includes plans, reports and resources. Click the links below to learn more about water quality, master planning, transportation, river history, and more!