The next morning I arrived to the event site where it became clear that the lake had undergone a dramatic change since my last visit. Docks were dry, almost a quarter of a mile too short to serve their purpose. The entire “Race the Lake of the Sky” finish line was 150 yards beyond the old shoreline. Race organizer, Chris Brackett, erected an impressive finish tower, far enough out to provide fin clearance for a water finish. Paddlers and citizens learn to creatively adapt to the changes generated by the drought. It’s at the core of human nature – adapt or die. It sounds overdramatic but it’s the truth of our existence.
I finished the race in a hard fought third place and quickly turned my attention to documenting the effect of the drought on other parts of the region. Having spent a few days on the south shore, it was time to head north and revisit the Truckee River. The appropriately named, River Road, winds along the Truckee River on its way to Tahoe City from Lake Tahoe. My photographer and I drove until we reached the area I had paddled on a perfect summer day four years ago. As we approached we found a river barely flowing, only a few inches deep in most places. The surroundings were still a beautiful deep green but the Truckee looked sad and depleted. I removed the fin from my inflatable and attempted to paddle upstream. It was a futile effort as my board continually bottomed out on the rocky river bed, even without a fin. I carried my board upstream hoping to find a deeper section, to no avail. Most California waterways have been drastically affected. The drought’s impact on Truckee River and Lake Tahoe is no exception. It is tangible and deeply disturbing.
