See the Displays from Smart About Water Day 2024

Welcome to
Smart About Water

A place to understand approaches to water-resource management in the Truckee Meadows.

Summertime Outdoor Watering

Maintain good conservation habits while meeting your landscaping needs

During the summer, demand on the drinking water system in the Truckee Meadows can increase by 400%. Outdoor watering is the primary reason for this increase, and the following are three conservation actions to help waste at a minimum:

Follow Assigned-Day Watering.

Since the mid-1980s, a mandatory watering schedule has been in place for the sprinkler systems of Truckee Meadows Water Authority (TMWA) customers. Assigned-Day Watering ensures equal water use for everyone, and also prevents overwhelming the system if everyone were to water at the same time! This includes resting all sprinklers on Mondays. (Get your watering days reminder below!)

Prevent Runoff.

A steady stream of water moving off landscapes and onto hard surfaces not only drains contaminants into the river but also is an unnecessary expense. Test with this ‘water and wait’ method, which makes sure your lawn gets only the water it needs.

Landscape Wisely.

Make the right investment when planting flowers, shrubs and trees. Choose to landscape with plants that are well-suited for our high-desert environment and can tolerate drought.

Print a copy of your Assigned Watering Days here!

Truckee River and Tahoe Basins: Daily Water Update

Daily SNOTEL Basin Index

Snow water equivalent, percent of average

106%

Lake Tahoe Basin

109%

Truckee River Basin

Updated 4/2/25. This is the final snow year data for 2025.

Current Truckee River Flow

Reno

454

CF/S

Farad

651

CF/S

Low Medium High

Upstream Water Storage

Reflects water stored by TMWA

40,657AF

Updated 07/19/2025

Current Lake Tahoe Level

The maximum legal limit for Lake Tahoe is 6,229.1 ft.

Water Treatment Plant Production

Currently distributed to TMWA customers

127.2MG/D

Typical High: 105 MG/D Typical Low: 33 MG/D

Hydroelectric Production

Amount of clean energy generated from the Truckee River

6,908kW

Powers the equivalent of 3,592 households

Daily SNOTEL Basin Index

Year-to-date indexes represent % of normal snow water equivalent compared to median value on this day for the 1981-2010 period.

This provisional data is provided from the California/Nevada SNOTEL Snow/Precipitation Update Report by the Natural Resources Conversation Service, and is subject to revision. Null percentages mean there is no measurable snowpack on that day.

Current Truckee River Flow

A key location where Truckee River flows are measured (in cubic feet per second or cfs) is near the California-Nevada state line, at the USGS Farad gaging station. This is the gaging station where required rates of flow are measured.

From March through September the required rate of flow is set for 500 cfs, and between October and February required rate of flow is 400 cfs. Flow rates are managed by the Federal Water Master and all data is provided by the United States Geological Survey.

For responsible recreational enthusiasts who monitor these flows, this map outlines all access points, features, diversions and portage options along the Truckee River from Truckee, CA to Tracy, NV.

Upstream Water Storage

Volume of water is measured in Acre Feet (AF). While many stakeholders also store water upstream, information shown here only reflects the upstream reserves held by Truckee Meadows Water Authority.

Water stored by TMWA is updated daily:

Boca Reservoir	790 Acre Feet
Donner Lake	8,948 Acre Feet
Independence Lake	17,270 Acre Feet
Prosser Reservoir	0 Acre Feet
Stampede Reservoir	13,649 Acre Feet
Lake Tahoe	0 Acre Feet

Current Lake Tahoe Level

The Dam at Tahoe City controls the amount of water released into the Truckee River. It can retain 6.1 feet of Lake Tahoe, or at maximum 744,600 acre feet of water. This maximum volume is met when water behind the dam reaches an elevation of 6229.10 feet.

Water Treatment Plant Production

Water from the Truckee Meadows is treated at two locations: the Chalk Bluff Treatment Plant in northwest Reno and the Glendale Water Treatment Plant in Sparks. Treatment plant output varies by season, as peak summertime customer demand can be as much as 4 times typical wintertime customer demand.

Many residents in the region are also served by groundwater wells.

Hydroelectric Production

The Truckee River is an excellent source of hydroelectric power. In fact, Fleish, Verdi and Washoe hydroelectric power plants produce an average of 50,000 kWh per year. This clean energy offsets the operational power costs for Truckee Meadows Water Authority and is a key contributing factor for keeping water rates as low as possible for customers. Benefits to the environment are sizable as well. Every day that the hydroelectric plants run at full capacity, over 90,500 pounds of CO2 emissions are effectively eliminated from our atmosphere.

Participate and Learn

August 2025

Saturday, August 2 - Dancing on the River

6 p.m. - 10 p.m.

City Plaza, Downtown Reno

Happening on the first Saturday of each month. Free entry to dance lessons with food and drink trucks.

Wednesday, August 20 - Verdi Hydroelectric Power Plant Tour

2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Join Truckee Meadows Water Authority at the historic Verdi Hydroelectric Power Plant. This facility has been producing clean, renewable energy for over 100 years. Tours are open to all TMWA customers, but is limited to 20 people. Attendees must be a minimum of 18 years of age or accompanied by an adult. Please note participants will be required to sign a liability waiver before the tour begins.