Dear Truckee River Supporter,

Excited to start paddling and tubing on the Truckee River this summer? Looking for events and volunteer opportunities? Keep reading to learn more! Also in this month’s newsletter: a big announcement about our work in Idlewild Park, spring firescaping tips for your yard, and (if you missed us earlier this month) a chance to catch One Truckee River on the news!

Here’s what’s inside May’s newsletter:

1. One Truckee River Events – Join Us!

2. Summer Recreation – Respecting the Truckee River While Tubing & Paddling

3. Idlewild Park – Project Announcement

4. In the News – Truckee River Month

5. River-Friendly Living – Wildfire Awareness Month

6. Partner Events in Lake Park - PLACEHOLDER

Through our event series, it's easier than ever to get out and about on the Truckee in Nevada, while learning more about the river and getting to know your neighbors. Don’t forget to sign up to reserve your spot for these events and volunteer opportunities.

Gardening Workshop: Making the Most of Water

Saturday, May 30th – Lake Park

Landscaping architect and horticulturist Tom Stille of River School Farm and Interpretive Gardens Inc. shares key strategies for using water efficiently in our home gardens. In this workshop, we’ll talk about mini meadows, buffer strips, and drought-tolerant native plants. All great ways to make your yard easier to manage while protecting the river!

State of the Riverbank

Saturday, June 27th – Caughlin Park

Observe and document the state of the Truckee River on a walk with OTR’s Executive Director, while learning about regional coordinated vegetation management efforts.

Volunteer Opportunity: Planting Trees

Saturday July 11th – Broadhead Park

Get your hands dirty planting native plants along the Truckee River, enhancing the efforts of the One Truckee River Workforce Program to repair the stretch of riverbank east of Downtown Reno.

Discovering Native Plants of Lake Park

Saturday July 25th – Lake Park

Learn how to identify native plants – and why they’re important to our local environment – in a walk with docents along Lake Park in Reno with the Nevada Native Plant Society.

Getting ready to head out on the Truckee River this summer? We certainly are! Spending time enjoying the river with friends and family is one of our favorite things about living in Northern Nevada.

This summer, we encourage you to respect the Truckee River, its banks, and its neighboring parks while cooling off in the water. That’s why we’ve put together a quick guide to get you started planning your paddling or tubing excursion along the Truckee River in Nevada. Check out our blog to better understand the river’s rapids and nearby amenities – and what you need to know about protecting water quality, staying safe, and respecting the river’s plants and animals while you explore.

We’re pleased to announce the launch of the Idlewild Riverbank Repair Project! Idlewild Park is one of Reno’s most-visited Truckee River locals – yet it’s also a site of bank erosion and lacks native vegetation, both which impact water quality. Our project aims to stabilize the riverbank to address erosion through design and engineering, including the placement of boulders, native vegetation, and other erosion control methods. We have secured funding from Western Regional Water Commission, Nevada Division of Environmental Protection and EPA to reach 30% design. 

The Idlewild Riverbank Repair Project stems from One Truckee River’s Management Plan, where our Partnership Council set the priority of improving water quality through coordinated vegetation management efforts. More recently, from 2020-2025, our Steering Committee and Technical Working Group consisting of local agencies and organizations completed a Framework Vegetation Management and Riverbank Repair Plan and associated tools, Conditions Assessment, and Project Prioritization Tool. Through this work, we conducted an in-depth vegetation assessment. Our results can be found here. This work, along with discussions with City of Reno staff in 2025, identified Idlewild Park as a priority project site. We’re excited to begin the first phase of our efforts to improve Idlewild Park’s riverbanks.

Did you catch us on the news? On Fox11, we shared how you can get out on the river and enjoy Truckee River Month - while caring for our watershed.

“The Truckee River is more than just a scenic backdrop for Northern Nevada — it’s a critical source of drinking water, recreation and wildlife habitat for the region. That’s why One Truckee River  invites the community to celebrate Truckee River Month throughout the month of May with educational events and outdoor activities focused on protecting and enjoying the river.

“We’re so excited to invite everyone to come out and join us along the Truckee River during the month of May,” said Shari Pomerantz, communications director for One Truckee River.

Pomerantz said the river offers endless opportunities for recreation, including paddling, biking, hiking, swimming, tubing and fishing. But Truckee River Month also focuses on helping residents better understand the watershed and how everyday actions can impact river health.

“One Truckee River and many other community organizations are hosting events for people interested in learning more about the state of our riverbanks, our local wildlife and things they can do in their homes and yards to save water and improve our river,” Pomerantz said.”

May isn’t just Truckee River Month - it’s Wildfire Awareness Month too! Wildfires are a natural part of our regional ecosystem’s health, yet large fires can disrupt nature’s balance. Large burn scars may regenerate slowly. Wildfire also degrades water quality with sediments, ash, and other contaminants that can wash off burn areas and into the Truckee River.

Together, we can make a difference by firescaping our yards – protecting our homes as well as our watershed. This season, remember to:

1. Clean out your gutters. Dry, accumulated leaves can ignite quickly, threatening your homes.

2. Remove leaves, dead plants, and other flammable materials from within 5’ of your foundation.

3. Trim tree branches that overhang your roof and keep dead branches 10 feet from your roofline. 

4. Learn more about firescaping here and living with fire here.

Thinking bigger-picture? Click the button below to learn what One Truckee River is doing to revegetate the Gold Ranch Burn Area, in the aftermath of the Gold Ranch Fire.

 June 20th, 8:30-10:30 AM, Lake Park

Join Friends of Lake Park in beautifying our park as we get it ready for summer. We'll be raking leftover leaves and removing weeds from the perennial and rain gardens, along with the corner flower gardens. Volunteers are asked to bring their own work gloves and any garden tools they prefer to use. Come prepared for a warm, sunny day at the park. Email Gretchen to sign up.

June 20th, 10:30-11:30 AM, Lake Park

HumiliTree's Owner & Lead Designer, Tanner Petrilla, will lead a hands-on participatory workshop, introducing the science and practice of homemade biological fertilizers — and demonstrate direct application to trees at Lake Park. This workshop is designed to be accessible to community members and land managers alike, rooted in peer-reviewed science without the jargon.

Daniel Moss, from the City of Reno, will discuss the Stormwater Committee's efforts to improve the Truckee Meadow's overall watershed health, future watershed restoration projects, and how citizens can prevent stormwater pollution within their neighborhoods. Email Daniel to sign up.