Flooding along the river banks has begun to be visibly obvious and sections of the river are now rising up over the bike trail between Tahoe City and River Ranch.

Albeit minor compared to the disastrous flooding in other parts of the country, local businesses and residents are concerned about the river level and the associated impacts over the coming holiday weekend.

Photos: Kurt Althof

The Truckee river was looking more like a portion of the Colorado river along Highway 89 from Tahoe City to Truckee on Tuesday. Large logs and debris that had been sitting along the riverbanks were seen floating at high rates of speed down the river, and waters raged past rocks, trees and bridges. At River Ranch, people gathered to look at the roaring river as it passed the popular restaurant.

"Its really crankin' now," commented one River Ranch staff member. "I hope they can drop it back down for the big weekend."

In an apparent nod to the rafting companies, the Watermaster again held off on raising the river until after the weekend tourist rush. A week prior, the river had been raised to 500 cfs on Sunday, and then dropped on Thursday to approximately 300 cfs, a more moderate flow for rafting.

The effects could be seen immediately along the river banks, as the water began to flow up on brush and trees. At River Ranch, where the river begins to run stronger, the rapids went from tame to more challenging. Rafters leaving Tahoe City had a shorter and more active ride as the speed of the water increased.

"The ride was great," commented a visitor from Louisiana upon arrival at River Ranch. "The rapids at the end were a blast."

The Emigrant Trail begins at the Donner Camp picnic site about five miles north of Truckee on Highway 89. The trail covers 11 miles to Stampede Reservoir. The route is primarily rolling ups and downs through a scattered forest of Jeffrey pines. Riders will pass several meadows laced with yellow buttercups and bright purple, camas lilies.

This year's theme is TruckeeVision, but as usual the Follies will make fun of all things Truckee. "It's like a high end, X-rated Montey Python," says regular participant and Truckee architect Matt Rusanoff.

"It's a great way for local artists to show their talent and for us to laugh at ourselves while acknowledging what's going on politically."

2006
Two years ago, in 2006, a powerful storm on February 27 and 28, 2006 dropped five inches rain on Ward Peak above Alpine Meadows ski area, and wind gusts surged to 162 mph. Runoff from the Sierra Nevada engorged local streams and rivers. Some of the same western Nevada businesses and residences that suffered damage in the $18 million New Years' flood of 2005 once again had to protect themselves with piled sandbags.


Coldest AND Snowiest

Truckee residents are concerned about the safety of the Mousehole, especially the lack of bike lanes and a pedestrian walkway. According to Town Engineer, Dan Wilkins, the structure is "functionally obsolete," which is defined as not having adequate width, shoulders, and pedestrian facilities.

Merchant's parents not only instilled in her an appreciation for public transportation, but also a passion for public service. Merchant's mother was an activist, marching with the Reverend Jesse Jackson on the streets of Chicago in the 1960s and organizing a Santana concert with Bill Graham in San Francisco to send the local youth symphony to Austria.

Featured wines at the tasting included Sutton Cellars' popular 2004 Rose, its 2003 Chardonnay, two 2003 Pinot Noirs, and a 2003 Syrah. Sutton also poured his 2003 Zinfandel and a 1997 Carignane for lucky enthusiasts tasting late on Saturday evening.



"The Chardonnay was the biggest surprise," stated Steve Coniglio of Truckee. "It was dessert in a bottle--not a dessert wine, but there's a crème brulee reference."