One Truckee River’s Urban Restoration work creates diverse and high functioning ecosystems along the Truckee River in Nevada - helping sustain a clean, healthy, and resilient river as a refuge for our wildlife and human communities
From its inception, the One Truckee River Partnership Council recognized a need for coordination and have a shared vision for how vegetation is managed along the Truckee River in Nevada. In 2020, OTR and Nevada Land Trust led a coordinated vegetation management planning process – working with and based on input from a 34-member Vegetation Management Technical Working Group.
By April 2025, our completed work included a River Conditions Assessment, Project Prioritization Report, and more! These efforts represent an unprecedented investment in understanding how and where to prioritize riverbank projects to best improve the Truckee River for the natural ecosystem, residents, and visitors.
Coordinated Vegetation Management Planning Efforts
Coordinated Vegetation Management Planning Efforts
One Truckee River Workforce Program is focused on restorative vegetation management paired with education, on-the-job training, and certification opportunities for our crew members who face barriers to employment.
Restorative vegetation management is the targeted removal of invasive plants and trees, planting and upkeep of native vegetation, and managing plant growth. It benefits and protects the river’s ecosystem while providing line-of-sight to support public safety and enjoyment.
The Workforce Program partners with Washoe County Crossroads's Program to provide community members with barriers to employment to learn and gain experience in forestry, river ecosystems, and landscaping.
Currently, the Workforce is increasing the number of native trees along the Truckee River east of downtown Reno. This area has only a 5-13% tree canopy. By growing our native tree populations, we’re benefiting local wildlife and improving outdoor recreation opportunities for residents and visitors.
The One Truckee River Workforce Program
Join our Workforce in improving the stretch of riverbank east of Downtown Reno! Lend us your morning and help plant native trees with the crew along the Truckee River.
Are you planning a corporate offside experience? Do you prefer to volunteer as a group?
Through our riverbank repair projects along the Truckee in Nevada we’re stabilizing the riverbanks, removing invasive species, and establishing native vegetation - creating a thriving natural ecosystem for wildlife, residents, and visitors to enjoy.
Our work is protecting water quality and building resilience for the Truckee River. When repairing the riverbank in the urban core, we’re considering line-of-sight for public safety and bank stabilization for residents and visitors alike. Our goal? A future river with a thriving natural ecosystem for everyone to enjoy.
Urban Restoration is complicated in the heart of Reno and Sparks in Nevada. Acres are unable to be completely restored back to their natural state, like in wilderness, because of urban settings that parallels much of the river. Yet, repairing the degraded natural ecosystem along the riverbank and surrounding parks are possible and hold so much benefit to water quality, wildlife, residents and visitors.
Riverbank repair work along the Truckee River at Brodhead Park was the first project to evolve out of One Truckee River’s regional coordinated vegetative management efforts. The project’s aim is to stabilize and replant the eroded southern riverbank at Brodhead Park (from the west end of park to the Wells overpass) with a vibrant, healthy native plant ecosystem. We have completed our 90% design and report and are advancing the project towards its 100% design phase. Then, we’ll begin permitting and construction. The completed project will address erosion, wildlife habitat needs, and hydrologic resiliency along the Truckee River in the urban core. We look forward to its implementation!
While located outside of the urban core, addressing fire damage at Gold Ranch is just as vital to the health of the Truckee River. The Gold Ranch Fire in August 2024 burned over a mile along both banks of the Truckee River, consuming 650 acres of steep forest and scrub lands. To prevent runoff, erosion, and impacts to water quality, One Truckee River has been working alongside our partners to repair and stabilize the burn areas. We’ve fallen and managed hazardous trees, laying them across slopes to reduce water movement to stabilize soil, hydro-mulched the steepest slopes adjacent to the river, and seeded 10 acres in the burn areas.
Our work is made possible through our partnerships with the Truckee Meadows Water Authority, Nevada Division of Forestry, Nevada Division of Wildlife, Carson-Truckee Water Conservation District, Nevada Department of Environmental Protection, Environmental Protection Agency, Resource Concepts, Inc, and a property owner.
These efforts are only the beginning. In March 2026, we began our second work phase. With the grant we’ve received from NV Department of Environmental Protection, we’re continuing our efforts: including establishing a native plant community by creating 13,500 square feet of microhabitat and stabilizing 4,500 square feet of eroded sloped landscape.
Exciting news, coming soon!
Alum Creek flows into the Truckee River - and hasn’t been meeting water quality and temperature standards for our municipal and domestic water supply, or for aquatic life. From 2026-2027, One Truckee River will be working alongside our partners at Washoe County and Reno Food Systems with support from NV Division of Environmental Projection and the Truckee River Fund at the Community Foundation of Northern Nevada to reduce pollution loads into Alum Creek. Our work will include bank stabilization work to reduce erosion and sediment flowers into the Truckee River, as well as Reno Food Systems work to transition conventional cattle grazed land to regenerative practices. We’ll also be building our 2nd River-Friendly Living Demonstration Garden while teaching residents about steps they can take to protect the river.
New project, coming soon!
This project proposes to repair a degraded section of the Truckee River in one of Reno’s most popular and frequently visited parks: Idlewild. Our priorities will include stabilizing the riverbank and improving the natural ecosystem along the river.
Our first step? Working in partnership with the City of Reno with support from Western Regional Water Commission and NV Division of Environmental Projection, to develop a 30% design to enhance the riverbank at Idlewild Park.
