Four years ago, I first paddled the cool high Sierra waters of the Truckee River. Flotillas of inner-tubed vacationers drifted down the gentle river as I explored its banks. Surrounded by towering pine trees throwing shade over edges on either side, paddling the Truckee was the perfect way to relax after a long weekend of racing on nearby Lake Tahoe. It was impossible to imagine then that this stretch of river would be reduced to a slow trickle in just a few years. That summer marked the beginning of a severe drought in the western United States and the worst in California’s recorded history.
The Truckee River is the sole outlet of Lake Tahoe and drains part of the high Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, emptying into Pyramid Lake in the Great Basin. Its waters are an important source of irrigation for the region and nearby valleys. The river provides numerous jobs and is enjoyed by countless locals and tourists each year. Dam controlled, the Truckee has a healthy flow in normal seasons. However, the last four years have been unusually hot and dry. The drought is causing the Truckee River and waterways throughout
California and the west to slowly dry up.
Turn on the TV or read the news in the United States and you’re almost guaranteed to get a dose of drought coverage. Despite the media bombardment, it’s easy for Californians to go on with our lives without feeling any real effects of this historic environmental event. Droughts are not quick hitting catastrophes like hurricanes or snowstorms that demand immediate action and attention. They arrive slowly, last for years and can go by without many people directly feeling their impact. Turn on the faucet; water comes out; nothing seems to be out of the ordinary. However, this drought is different and may become the new normal for much of the western United States. Feeling disconnected from the harsh reality of the drought, I travelled to the Tahoe region in June to race and to document the drought’s effects first-hand.
The drive from the Reno-Tahoe International Airport to south Lake Tahoe provides the perfect introduction to this unique and beautiful region.
