Source Water Protection

Middle Truckee River Watershed Forest Partnership

In October 2022, TMWA signed a memorandum of understanding with the Tahoe National Forest, The Nature Conservancy, Truckee River Watershed Council, and National Forest Foundation (NFF) to form the Middle Truckee River Watershed Forest Partnership (MTRWFP). A catastrophic fire in this area of the watershed could have direct and prolonged water quality impacts to TMWA’s sources of supply.

Since 2023, the partners have been working on planning and implementation and developed a 10-year vegetation plan. The goal is to treat 62,000 acres of forested lands by 2033 with ecologically-based forest thinning and restoration methods. For more information on specific projects, an interactive map is available on the MTRWFP website. The Partnership has raised $10.1 million from various grants since 2022 to fund planning and implementation for additional projects.

The Ladybug Project, partially funded through TMWA at $500,000, is underway. NFF is implementing the project. In 2023, NFF accomplished 465 acres of hazardous fuel reduction work within the Ladybug project area. This included 203 acres of large-diameter mastication (grinding) where trees up to 16” in diameter at breast height were masticated to meet spacing targets.

One Truckee River Partnership Council

TMWA is an active partner in the One Truckee River Partnership Council and a key implementation partner in the Truckee River Restroom Project. In 2020, the first Portland Loo was installed at Brodhead Park. In April 2023, the second Portland Loo was opened to the public at John Champion Park. These restrooms have been highly successful in reducing waste upstream of TMWA’s Glendale Water Treatment Plant intake and providing sanitation facilities for all river users.

NDEP Spill Reports

TMWA is notified by the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) when spills occur that could impact groundwater or surface water sources. TMWA closely monitors ongoing and active spill release sites overseen by NDEP and other local partners to prevent impacts to TMWA’s water supplies. TMWA reviewed 38 spill reports in 2023.

Development Project Application Reviews

TMWA is notified of projects that are being reviewed by Washoe County’s Planning and Building Division, City of Reno’s Planning Commission, and Sparks Planning & Community Services Department. In addition to other internal TMWA reviews, these projects are evaluated for source water protection concerns. If concerns are noted, comments are provided to the applicants via the agencies. TMWA assessed 50 development review memos for source water protection concerns in 2023.

In 2020, the City of Reno amended their Title 18 Land Development Code to add a process for new businesses to notify TMWA if they fall within designated SWPAs. TMWA is notified when new activities are planned within critical distances of sensitive water infrastructure. This provides the opportunity for TMWA staff to educate those businesses about the location of drinking water sources and the SWPP. This cooperative process provides businesses with the information needed to take the measures required to help prevent future groundwater and surface water contamination.

TMWA received notifications from 150 businesses in 2023, and TMWA contacted approximately 25% of those businesses (38 businesses). Businesses were contacted if they were located within a critical source water protection area and/or the business type was of particular concern for water quality. On the graph below, red indicates business types of the highest concern and yellow are of moderate concern. The attached maps show locations for projects submitted and contacted in 2023.

Donner Interagency Partnership for Stewardship

During 2020 and 2021, visitation to the Donner Lake area drastically increased. With growing numbers of visitors came additional issues such as higher boat traffic, increased erosion, and more litter. To address these issues, multiple stakeholders, including TMWA, came together to form the Donner Interagency Partnership for Stewardship (DIPS). In June 2023, the collaborative published the 2022 State of Donner Lake to create a baseline dataset about the ecological and water quality conditions of Donner Lake. DIPS has also created the 2022 Stewardship Plan to identify action items to protect the long-term health of Donner Lake.

Forest Ambassador Program

TMWA partnered with the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and the National Forest Foundation in 2022 to establish a Forest Ambassador Program in the watersheds upstream of the Mt. Rose Water Treatment Plant. The Forest Ambassador spends time on the local trails educating recreators about responsible recreation and the importance of protecting the region’s water supply. In 2023, the Forest Ambassador interacted with nearly 4,000 people from June through November.