February 15, 2017 – The Town of Truckee, Truckee Police Department, Truckee Fire Protection District and Truckee Meadows Water Authority (TMWA) have been working together regarding recent storm water runoff events and the water level of Donner Lake.
The Truckee River and streams remain swollen and the Donner Lake water level remains high as a result of the unprecedented amount of rain and snow our area has received over the last month or so. While there is currently no risk of infrastructure failure of any sort, lake levels rising above the high water mark could result in low level flooding of some properties around the lake front. Currently, the lake level has stabilized and is dropping. With the upcoming storms forecasted by the National Weather Service over the next seven days expected to be colder, this should help further stabilize the lake level. While TMWA will continue to take every measure possible to ensure that the lake level remains stable, storm water inflows have exceeded outflow at various times which could lead to higher than expected lake elevations.
As a simple precaution, we are encouraging lake front residents to survey their property and make adjustments as needed. We want residents to take every precaution they can to ensure the safety and security of their property and to be informed should lake levels begin to rise. The rising lake levels are not anticipated to cause life threatening events, roadway access or access issues of emergency services to Donner Lake. This remains a precautionary message regarding possible flooding to those homes on the lake and at levels close to the water.