In early 2015, the Nevada Land Trust (NLT) and Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful (KTMB) came together with stakeholder groups, and started looking at how specific issues in and along the Truckee River were being addressed.  While most of the Truckee River and the Truckee River corridor is managed and regulated by federal, state and local agencies, those efforts are, at times, disconnected from each other.  The One Truckee River concept was born out of knowing that the many existing and successful individual programs and projects could be stronger by working together, and that traditional sectors and boundaries must be crossed to address all the issues affecting the Truckee River. 

The One Truckee River Management Plan is organized into three geographically defined phases.  Phase One focuses on the heavily used section of the Truckee River corridor in the urban portion of Reno and Sparks, stretching from West McCarran Boulevard to the Truckee Meadows Water Reclamation Facility near Vista Boulevard.  Once Phase One has been adopted and implementation has commended, Phase Two will next extend planning from the Truckee Meadows Water Treatment Facility to Pyramid Lake.  Phase Three will cover from West McCarran Boulevard, extending west to the state line.

The One Truckee River Management Plan seeks not to create a new regulating agency, but to weave existing efforts together in a way that better reflects the inter-connectedness of the entire river system.  The One Truckee River Management Plan is One Truckee River’s first step toward making the shared vision of a sustainable, clean and thriving Truckee River a reality. The management plan considers and recommends both short term and long term management objectives that are coordinated across jurisdictional boundaries for a “One Truckee River” approach.

The One Truckee River Management Plan was designed to follow a collective impact framework by engaging a large Core Planning Team and working with over (9) issue subcommittees comprising over 125 stakeholders.   The premise behind the collective impact framework is that participants all have a common agenda for change, including a shared understanding of the problem and a joint approach to solving it through agreed upon actions.   The plan of action outlines and coordinates mutually reinforcing activities for each participant and organization. There is open and continuous communication across the members to build trust, assure mutual objectives, and create common motivation and a lead organization(s) with staff to serve the initiative and coordinate participating organizations and agencies.

One Truckee River is also an action oriented plan with a 10-year horizon focusing on a clearly defined vision, mission, four main goals, twenty-one objectives and over 140 strategies.  The plan will be implemented in phases over time beginning with the adoption of the plan by the local jurisdictions in September of 2016.  Some action items are intended to be implemented immediately within the first year, while others will be implemented in the following years.

The implementation plan is designed to be flexible in nature to accommodate opportunities that may arise with funding, partnerships and collaborative efforts, but also will be a stand-alone document that will be continually monitored and updated.  

Some important efforts and programs included in the plan are already the responsibility of individual One Truckee River stakeholders, and will gain additional support and recognition through the plan.  Other projects and tasks need strengthening by adding partners or matching funds.  Finally, the plan identifies gaps in priority areas where new programs must be developed, and paves the way for long-term management and sustainability of the One Truckee River approach.

Several of the draft City of Sparks Comprehensive Plan goals and policies tie directly to the One Truckee River Management Plan, including protection of water quality, maintaining the Truckee River corridor as a trail and open space system, requiring new development to accommodate public trail and river access, and implementing Best Management Practices, including Low Impact Development practices to control urban storm water runoff.  The One Truckee River Management Plan identifies strategies and action items that are associated with these policies, including providing for an updated zoning code standard to address design standards along the river, requiring Low Impact Development standards along the river, and increasing public amenities along the river (benches, signage, bike tire changing stations, hydration stations, lighting, bike racks, art, etc.) to encourage recreational use of the trail system.

From the onset of the One Truckee River Management Plan initiative, it has been apparent that social issues, perceived as primarily associated with homelessness, are central to the concerns surrounding the Truckee River corridor.  The One Truckee River Management Plan outlines a number of key objectives, strategies and action items specific to providing resources and alternatives for people living on the river.  While most of those action items are identified for implementation in the 1-5 year timeline, it is important to acknowledge that those efforts are currently in process and resulting in successful outcomes.  For example, in early May Washoe County issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) No. 2980-16, for Community Based Case Management Services for the Homeless Population.  Three community case managers have been hired and will be grant funded through 6/30/17.  Those community case managers have been working with the local jurisdictions, as well as non-profit organizations, and have been instrumental in helping to move many individuals living on the river, into housing and programs that help to end homelessness.  

The entire plan is located on the web at onetruckeeriver.org.

The One Truckee River Management Plan seeks to bring together both public and private groups, as equal partners, working together towards implementing a shared vision for the Truckee River.  The management plan considers and recommends both short term and long term management objectives that are coordinated across jurisdictional boundaries for a “One Truckee River” approach.  Examples of the first year action items that will be coordinated include the following:

• Identify and work with existing programs that seek to implement Best Management Practices to improve quality of water flowing into the Truckee River from contributing watershed areas.
• Work with and coordinate existing stakeholders and agency efforts to develop a Truckee River Watershed Management Plan.
• Work with Planning Department staff from Reno, Sparks and Washoe County to review existing zoning and development codes and create consistent language in development ordinances related to development adjacent to the Truckee River. 
• Work with first responder teams to identify existing and desirable water access points and add mile markers to the Truckee River trail for better identification purposes. 
• Work with local Community Wellness providers to implement a “Healthy Rivers, Healthy People” campaign that will encourage the wellbeing of the Truckee River as well as the residents that live, work and play along it.
• Establish and promote a comprehensive events calendar that features all relevant activities, events, and entertainment associated with the river.
• Create an opportunity or venue for the community to share river stories and images relative to our natural and cultural history.
• Work with existing education partners to compile and assess existing Truckee River-related curriculum and educational programs.   Compile existing resources and identify those that are in alignment with Washoe County curriculum requirements.
• Create metrics for measuring success of each of the plan’s strategies and action items.
• Create a base line GIS map specific to the Truckee River that will include data layers for crime, calls for service, ecosystem, vegetation, access, all uses, trail, signs, habitat, restoration, recreational activities, wildlife areas, amenities, unnatural hazards, etc.
• Conduct an Annual One Truckee River Initiative Forum where discussions can be had on the challenges, opportunities and understanding of the Truckee River.

The City Council may elect not to adopt the One Truckee River Management Plan as presented by the Nevada Land Trust and Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful.

The City Council may elect to adopt a portion or portions of the One Truckee River Management Plan as presented by the Nevada Land Trust and Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful.  

I move to adopt the One Truckee River Management Plan as presented by the Nevada Land Trust and Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful.