Rushing river reduced to trickle

Thursday, March 13, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

The flow from Lake Tahoe will be slashed from the current 1,950 cubic feet per second to 100 cfs, federal Water Master Garry Stone said on Thursday.

The reduction will begin at 8 a.m. Tuesday and will be at its lowest ebb 24 hours later. The discharge will be increased to 1,200 cfs the following Wednesday, March 26, Stone said.

The water master said several entities along the river had sought the reduction.

One in particular, the Truckee-Carson Irrigation District, wanted the cutback to make repairs to Derby Dam, which diverts river water to Lahontan Reservoir.

The district intentionally breached the earthen portion of the dam in early January to allow the New Year's flood waters to surge through without further damaging the structure, the Lahontan Valley News and Fallon Eagle Standard reported.

Stone has been releasing water from Tahoe as rapidly as possible to drop its level enough to accommodate the spring runoff from the huge Sierra snow pack.

The lake, which exceeded its maximum of 6,229.1 feet above sea level in January for the first time in 70 years, has fallen a little more than one foot to 6,227.82 feet above sea level.

That drop, combined with future releases, should give the lake enough of a cushion to hold the runoff and still allow the reduced discharge, Stone said.

After the one-week cutback, Stone said releases likely will return to above-normal levels until the runoff ends early this summer.

River flows on Thursday ranged from 1,950 cfs at the gates in Tahoe City, Calif., to 3,050 cfs between Derby Dam and Pyramid Lake, Stone said.