Lahontan Basin Area Office

Truckee River Operating Agreement and Related Documents

Truckee River Operating Agreement

The Truckee River Operating Agreement (TROA), signed in 2008 and implemented in December 2015, is an agreement developed by Federal, State, Tribal, and local agencies and organizations regarding the operation of the Truckee Basin reservoirs. This agreement is prescribed in section 205(a) of Public Law 101‐618, which directed the Secretary of the Interior to negotiate an agreement with California and Nevada to increase the operational flexibility and efficiency of certain reservoirs in the Lake Tahoe and Truckee River basins. TROA creates flexibility in water use and storage while ensuring that existing water rights are served, and flood control and dam safety requirements are met. It provides for more effective coordination of reservoir operations on the Truckee River, allows for more stable water supply, enhances streamflow in the Truckee River for threatened and endangered fish species, and improves water quality.

Trades and Exchanges

TROA provides opportunities for TROA parties to move, exchange, and trade water among Truckee River Reservoirs to enhance a party’s ability to maximize the use of their water for their operational purposes. The provisions for exchanging water enhance and increase the flexibility of system operations, facilitating more efficient use of water supply to serve the multiple beneficial uses. These activities are accomplished on paper, without physical transfer of the water.

Credit Water Operations

TROA provides for the establishment of credit water in the Truckee Basin for multiple categories, including municipal and industrial use, fisheries, and water quality. The credit water provisions describe priorities for each category of credit water and accounting procedures relative to its storage, release, spill, evaporation, and exchange.

TROA also allows for storage of Newlands Project Credit Water in Truckee Basin reservoirs. The objective is to increase the use of Carson River water and minimize diversions of Truckee River water through the Truckee Canal in order to maximize water available for the lower Truckee River and Pyramid Lake.

Website and Documents

• Truckee River Operating Agreement (September 2008) (PDF - 5.1 MB)
• Part 429 Final Rule as Published in the Federal Register (December 5, 2008) (PDF - 127 KB)
• TROA Final Rule as Published in the Federal Register (December 5, 2008) (PDF - 48 KB)
• Contract for Storage of Non-Project Water Among the United States, Truckee Meadows Water Authority and Washoe County Water Conservation District (September 6, 2008) (PDF - 863 KB)
• Record of Decision, Truckee River Operating Agreement (September 5, 2008) (PDF - 2.8 MB)
• Final EIS/EIR Released (January 23, 2008)

Note: documents in Portable Document Format (PDF) require Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0 or higher to view download Adobe Acrobat Reader.