Truckee Basin Water Management Options Pilot Study, CA/NV
CLIENT: Bureau of Reclamation, Lahontan Basin Area Office
Sardine Lookout with Stampede Reservoir in the distance
FAST FACTS:
Study will propose updates to reservoir flood control management to account for climate change
Facilitating virtual workshops to develop alternative management options
Collaborative partners represent federal, Tribal, state, and local water managers and users
Truckee River
EMPSi is assisting with a climate change adaptation effort to update management of five dams and reservoirs in the Truckee Basin in California and Nevada. Water in the basin supports irrigation, threatened and endangered species, hydroelectric power, and Tribal and municipal use. However, changes in runoff amount and timing due to climate change in combination with inflexible flood control guidelines mean that reservoirs are unable to be filled even in high-precipitation years.
We are collaborating with Reclamation and its cost-share partners in the basin, including Tribes, states, and municipalities, to identify alternative options for flood management to improve water storage and release guidance. By facilitating a series of virtual workshop sessions, EMPSi is helping the various partners identify common goals despite competing water needs. The result of the workshops will be a report identifying discrete alternatives for further technical study, with the ultimate goal of proposing updates to the US Army Corps of Engineers Water Control Manual for the basin.
You guys are the best! Please pass on my thanks!
— Laurie Nicholas, Project Lead, Reclamation Lahontan Basin Area Office