Flood Advisory issued for the Truckee River from North Lake Tahoe to Reno

Water management officials increased the flow out of Lake Tahoe Wednesday afternoon, prompting warnings of minor flooding along the Truckee River from the dam to Truckee, and abnormally high flows along the river through Reno and Sparks. The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a flood advisory for Placer, Nevada, and Southern Washoe County County through 2:45 p.m. Tuesday May 2.

The bike path along the Truckee outside of North Lake Tahoe was already under water in many spots before the flow was increased out of the dam. Minor flooding will continue to cover sections of the Truckee-Tahoe bike path along Highway 89 as well as portions of the path through the Reno-Sparks area. Some backyards, basements and campgrounds along the river near Highway 89 may be inundated by the high flows and are closed.

These high flows will continue for an indefinite amount of time as officials manage the water in the Truckee reservoir system in anticipation of higher snowmelt flows in May and June. Officials are constantly monitoring the high flows and flood impacts.

The NWS says this will be the highest flow on the Truckee River from Lake Tahoe Dam to Bear Creek at Alpine Meadows since February, 1999.