The Truckee River is a highlight of the Reno/Sparks community, but when it comes to the river's lowlights, like trash and homeless camps, fixing all the problems is a big undertaking.
The One Truckee River partnership is taking it on. OTR is a multi-agency, multi-jurisdiction coalition working to fix the systemic problems that plague the river. Little by little, they're making progress.
"We had all these great agencies doing a lot of really good things along the river, but their efforts weren't coordinated in a collaborative way," Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful Executive Director Christi Cakiroglu said, "and that's what this plan does."
Cakiroglu is referring to the new river management plan; a list of priorities and projects to make the river into its best self. Some of its changes are already in place, like the new mile markers to give first responders a better idea where an emergency call is, and loaner life jacket stations.
Now the top item on the wish list is more bathrooms.
"The sanitation and housing group were looking at something called the Portland Loo, which the City of Portland has found to be really helpful because it helps to reduce illegitimate use of the restrooms, and it's easier to clean," Cakiroglu said, "but they're really expensive, and there's the cost of maintaining them."
To learn more about One Truckee River and how they're going about fixing these issues, tune in for Face the State. It's airing Saturday at 4:30 am and 3:30 pm, and Sunday at 6:30 am and 3:30 pm.
