August 2002 Newsletter
Truckee River Yacht Club
Table of Contents
Positive Stories on the River (Opinion of the Yacht Club)
When the TRYC publishes stories and editorials, we do them for this positive reason: we love the river and we hope good things will result from some of our comments. We try hard to educate elected officials about the positive things and the negative things that can occur from their actions. That said, many things GOOD are happening:
The Lower River Restoration Committee has received a signoff from Reno, Sparks and Washoe County to move ahead with a Cooperative Agreement to restore designated portions of the river downstream of Vista. The stated purposes are water quality improvements that may allow pollution credit trading for TMWRF, land to attenuate flood water, habitat improvements and recreation access.
The Cities and the County approved a Water Quality Settlement Agreement with the Tribe for purposes of increasing instream flows, especially during summer months when we sometimes need extra water to meet water quality standards. The local governments appropriated $12 million for acquisition of water rights.
The Cities made the first move to support studies to reduce salt loading from irrigation in Fernley to the river.
Reno has provided water rights to The Nature Conservancy so that they may irrigate upland plants on the McCarran Ranch Project. Reno is also providing funding for river restoration design through The Nature Conservancy.
The Cities have funded ortho photos and topographic information for river restoration, and accelerating flood studies.
Reno has initiated an interpretive sign program along the river downtown river path. The signs will offer history about areas along the path and point out some of the natural features. TRYC's own Don Vetter helped the City put together this project with Park Planner, Ed Schenk.
Reno's Redevelopment Agency is designing flood walls for Truckee River Lane between Virginia and Sierra Streets and asking for feedback from the Citizens' Advisory Committee for Redevelopment. The CAC also a "Code Enforcement and Blight Committee." We hope they will clean up the old Boondocks site.
Finally, Reno will have a $40 million ballot issue for Arts, Culture and Recreation on the November ballot. $1.5 million of these funds, if approved by the voters, will go to the kayak project downtown.
Another opportunity to improve the river will come as the City hears the franchise agreement with Reno Disposal over the transfer station. One of the biggest problems is flyaway trash from uncovered loads. The City might consider offering a decrease in fees (a reward) for those who arrive at the transfer station with covered or confined loads, and/or a penalty for those who arrive uncovered and unprotected. Flyaway trash is a big issue for the river downstream of the facility.
Reno could set a wonderful example of river stewardship by cleaning up and further landscaping or screening their corporation yards along the river. When the Flood Project is approved, Sparks has a few wonderful parks, but certainly more would be appreciated. Eventually, they could develop river landscaping performance standards with property owners along the river. As requests for permits come in, landscaping could be a condition. Noxious weeds are the issue in Sparks. Working with Cooperative Extension's Weed Warrior Program could be a joint project.
TRYC commended the City of Reno for their river patrol police on bikes. Those folks were a hit with the general public.
All in all, people are recognizing the river as a wonderful place. It is not a perfect place and it continues to need improvements. Maybe the improvements will come, but the Cities also deserve some praise.
C.R.U.W to Hold "Friends of Trashed Rivers V" Conference
The Coalition to Restore Urban Waters will hold its fifth annual conference in Atlanta, GA this summer. A number of years ago, Leonard Crowe, John Champion and I attended the first in San Francisco. It was an eye opener! Leonard Crowe set the workings in place that began the Community Flood Coalition. He brought business owners and conservationists together to see if they had something in common. They did, but weren't quite ready to admit it. After some pawing and sniffing, the groups did come together to promote the 1/8 of a cent sales tax for the flood project. They were to be joined by many others in bringing the flood project to where it is today.
John Champion, as many of you will remember as the Pied Piper of the Truckee, came home enthused to begin protecting all waterways. He noted that many communities were taking back their creeks and drainages and turning them into community amenities for open space, recreation and wildlife. He was impressed that Bay Area towns were uncovering storm drains and restoring small watersheds because in doing so, they improved storm water quality discharges to the Bay.
He noted that if we didn't treat our waterways well that the cost of cleanup later becomes exorbitant, so why not do it right to begin will. He said water would manhandle us if we didn't do things right.
Back to CRUW. They promote trashed river restoration! One only has to look at the Cuyahoga (remember the burning river), the Chattahootche, the Chicago River to see the results that the citizenry working with government can bring about. Their objectives are 1) to work with decision makers to promote policies and mobilize resources for urban water restoration; and 2) facilitate information exchanges to provide training and networking opportunities, develop websites with online data bases, and provide toll free technical assistance, and technical teams to complete onsite assessments.
River Network and American Rivers
Among grassroots groups, River Network and American Rivers are two organizations that provide training and information to nonprofits like TRYC. TRYC is a River Partner of the River Network as are Champions, The Nature Conservancy, the Lower Truckee River Restoration Committee and the Truckee River Watershed Council. We're all part of a growing knowledge and advocacy base for our river and other rivers in Nevada. Nationally, river groups are common and have achieved many good things, but the education process is so important as is working with local officials, public works departments, planning departments, health departments, colleges and universities, fishermen, birders, bikers and general public.
River Network sponsors the National River Rally, usually in May of each year. The conference visits a city that features its river and has projects that the city has done to restore its river. This year's conference is in Asheville, NC. Redding, CA has done some wonderful things with the Sacramento River and tributaries and has hosted a national trails symposium featuring river trails. Since the State of Nevada and Reno/Sparks tourism are highlighting outdoor recreation, perhaps a time will come when we can bring a national river/trail conference to our area.
Water is becoming an increasingly valuable substance. We drink it; keep our yards alive; water crops and animals; recreate in it and fear it for the damage it can do. We pollute it. We reclaim it with increasing costs. It makes sense to take care of the natural systems that help us collect it-rivers.
American Rivers provides a lobbying arm in Washington, D.C. Your former Commodore has been back to lobby for funds with American Rivers paying airfare. Their efforts promote increased funding for river restoration, education and research about rivers. From these efforts come Clean Water funding, river trail funding, stormwater drainage money, restoration dollars and more.
The National Park Service has Rivers and Trails Conservation Assistance. This group has established an office in Las Vegas, but we can continue to deal with the Oakland office. They provide technical assistance in planning, public education and small financial assistance. They helped us put together the first Truckee River brochure and map. We worked with NDOW and Washoe County, Reno and Sparks Parks Department.
TRYC is not a lonely organization but part of a national and international network to protect and restore rivers and provide fishable, swimmable, drinkable water; habitat; appropriate flood management techniques; and recreation to communities across the nation and around the world.
Tryc Joins Sierra Front Recreation Coalition
The "Recreation Coalition" establishes a working relationship between numerous local, state and federal government agencies and non profits who have interest in managing, planning and developing trails and facilities in an environmentally and economically sound manner. TRYC joins parks departments, conservancies, trails associations including the Tahoe Rim Trail, the Forest Service and the BLM in identifying current and future trails that connect. The project extends from Topaz Lake to the south, the Pine Nut Range to the east, the Tahoe Basin, Kirkwood and Desolation Valley in the center and Reno, Pyramid Lake and Virginia City to the north.
Can you imagine hiking, biking, cross-country skiing on miles of integrated paths? Can you imagine everyone working together to get the best projects possible? Well, this is the group!
Our reason for participating is still the goal of a trail from Tahoe to Pyramid.
Desna Young at the Carson City BLM Field Office is in charge of putting the group together. Please contact her (885-6000) if you need more information. Cooperation is the key element in gaining funding. John Singlaub, Carson City Field Office manager, initiated this program as an offshoot of One Region. And it fits right in with the State Commission on Tourism's and the RSCVA's stated intention to tout outdoor recreation as the other Nevada!
As summer heats up, a number of us take to the water-meaning swimming, boating, inner tubing, fishing and more. Since the population is increasing, it means we all have to be better stewards of the river so that everyone can enjoy it. Some basic reminders for you.
Always pick up your trash! That means picnic goodies, fishing line, worm/egg containers, beer/soda containers, baby diapers. Glass is never an acceptable container on the river. Neighbors who live along the river complain about the trash generated by river users. How would you like someone to throw these in your front yard?
Always operate under the buddy system. Always have a buddy nearby, especially when you're in cold flowing water. The currents this year are low but still dangerous for little ones. Put kids in flotation devices. Pulling a drowning child from the river is not a task anyone wants.
Always leave the vegetation as natural as possible. It helps prevent erosion and provide habitat for birds and animals. Fishing and boating access points are available up and down along the river. Try to use them in order to save the good vegetation that provides shade for fish and people.
Always wear a floatation device (life jacket) when boating. Boats overturn as do inner tubes (now that Cory Farley has told you where to get them); and rocks are hard places that can crack bones and heads. Be safe.
Permit stipulations: As the Cities of Reno and Sparks or Washoe County prepare for commercial licensing of rafting/kayaking companies along the river from Mayberry to downtown, stipulations about cleanliness, public education on keeping trash with you, and offering rewards for turning in trash at the end of the trip could be attached to the permit. Monitoring trash should be a part of the permit as well.
Our River Runs Brown and Conservation
Following last year's Martis Creek fire and the usual summer convective (thunder) storms this year, our Truckee River has been running brown from the runoff. Chalk Bluff, our water treatment plant, has been functioning well, shutting down during the worst of the sediment flows, but able to keep up with the record water demands of this hot summer.
If at all possible, don't waste water! Use what you absolutely need, but don't waste. As Tahoe nears the rim and we consume water at record rates, we need to consider next summer. We'll need lots of snow next winter to replenish Tahoe and our other reservoirs.