News Release Archive

Department of the Interior and State of California Release Final EIS/EIR for the Truckee River Operating Agreement

Media Contact: Jeffrey McCracken, 916-978-5100, jmccracken@mp.usbr.gov

For Release: January 23, 2008

The U.S. Department of the Interior and the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), as co-lead agencies, have released the jointly prepared Final Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (Final EIS/EIR) for the Truckee River Operating Agreement (TROA), which would implement Section 205(a) of the Truckee-Carson-Pyramid Lake Water Rights Settlement Act of 1990, Title II of Public Law 101-618 (Settlement Act).  The Revised Draft EIS/EIR was released on August 25, 2004, and public hearings were held October 18-21, 2004, in Reno, Fernley, Nixon, and Fallon, Nevada, and Kings Beach and Truckee, California.

TROA would modify existing operations of all designated reservoirs to enhance coordination and flexibility while ensuring that existing water rights are served and flood control and safety of dams requirements are met.  TROA would, in part,

(1) enhance conditions for the threatened Lahontan cutthroat trout and endangered cui-ui in the Truckee River basin,
(2) increase municipal and industrial drought protection for Truckee Meadows (Reno-Sparks metropolitan area),
(3) improve Truckee River water quality downstream from Sparks, Nevada, and
(4) enhance streamflows and recreational opportunities in the Truckee River Basin. 

At the time TROA takes effect, the Settlement Act provides that a permanent allocation of water between California and Nevada in the Lake Tahoe, Truckee River, and Carson River basins will also take effect.

The Final EIS/EIR may be viewed on the Bureau of Reclamation’s website at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/troa/.  For additional information or to request a copy of the Final EIS/EIR, please contact Mr. Kenneth Parr, Reclamation, at 775-882-3436, kparr@mp.usbr.gov, or Mr. Michael Cooney, DWR, at 916-651-0746, mikec@water.ca.gov. 

If you encounter problems accessing documents online, please contact Ms. Lynnette Wirth at 916-978-5102 or lwirth@mp.usbr.gov.

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