StormCon 2024 started with two events that attendees could attend as part of the conference. One event was a kayak tour, and the other event was a tour of the Truckee River Watershed.
The Truckee River Watershed consists of 435 square miles of land. The river is fed from Lake Tahoe as well as multiple creeks and reservoirs. The river ultimately leads to Pyramid Lake.
The area surrounding the river has been known for its flooding. Specifically, the 1997 river floods. Parts of northern California and western Nevada saw flooding.
Roughly $540 million in projected damages were recorded along the Truckee River in Nevada alone.
This led to a multitude of projects along the Truckee River that has resulted in protecting the region from future flooding.
Some of these projects were showcased on the Truckee River tour.
Danielle Henderson of the Truckee River Flood Management Authority guided a tour along the river.
The first stop was at Lockwood Trailhead, a trail area that butted up directly to the river.
Henderson talked about the different projects that the Truckee River Flood Management Project has undertaken over the years. She focused on some of the recreational and ecosystem restoration features that occurred.
Some of these projects include building levees, wild berms and floodwalls to protect businesses, and restoring ecosystem functions and creating habitat for native species.
The second stop overlooked McCarran Ranch and showed off the nature preserve and the work that the city has completed.
The third stop was down on McCarran Ranch where Henderson and Heather Geiger, who works with the Ranch, spoke more on the conservation efforts.
The McCarran Ranch Preserve was The Nature Conservancy’s first restoration project on the lower Truckee River, which began in 2006.
The restoration project included creating in-river habitat for trout and other fish and insects, reconnecting the river to its floodplain, and restoring a native plant community that will help improve water quality.
The restoration model developed at McCarran Ranch Preserve has shown success in attracting birds and fish in supporting thriving native plant communities.
