Storms raise Lake Tahoe by 3 inches
In what seemed liked three days of uninterrupted rain in the basin amounted to 11 billion gallons of water dropping into Lake Tahoe.
All that moisture meant Lake Tahoe’s level increased by 3 inches, according to the National Weather Service in Reno. The lake is still 2 inches below its natural rim. This means in Tahoe City at the dam no water is flowing into the Truckee River.
Some canals in the Tahoe Keys in South Lake Tahoe that were almost dry now have measurable water.
The Friday-Sunday storm system was part of the remnants of Typhoon Songda.
The next chance of moisture is set for Oct. 24, with the Weather Service saying there is a “slight chance.” Until then, highs will be in the upper 60s, with overnight lows in the 30s.
— Lake Tahoe News staff report
There is so much runoff in the Upper Truckee River that it broke through the new channel and is now flowing in both the old channel that was partially filled with dirt and in the new channel. The amount of erosion from the old channel fill must be tremendous, all going into the lake. Exactly what the forest service was trying to stop. Ooops ! Don’t mess with Mother Nature, it only took her a couple days to dig a new channel, not all summer.
They have worked on this for years with no measurable results, but measurable failures are obvious.
The realignment of The Truckee River by the airport is a mess. There is no erosion control to speak of and they are pumping water up hill. It will take years to restore the meadow where they built a road to haul all the dirt. Where is the TRPA? This project set back any improvement years. I was there today, it really is a mess?
There is a double standard when it comes to “projects.” Public sector projects rarely are scrutinized to the level that private sector projects are.
SNAKES…see a lot of SNAKES out there or are they all in the private sector fining/harassing the citizens about their driveways and pinecones?
It appears the Forest Service has finished connecting the new channel to the old and has repaired and fortified the corner where the last storm broke through into the old channel. It looks good and strong. They seem to be packing up all the construction materials and repairing the wear and tear from construction vehicles. Hope we have at least a “normal” winter so the new channel will get a thorough test.