The Truckee Meadows Water Authority says this time of year, the Truckee is usually flowing at about 300 cubic feet per second through downtown Reno. Right now that's dropped to just about 80.
TMWA says for the first time in 20 years, it's tapping into its drought reserves.
Long-time fly fisherman Mike Sexton comes down to the Truckee River quite often and knows it well.
"Probably 14-16 inches down it seems like…I'm normally standing in this about right here."
While the below-average water levels aren't keeping him from casting and reeling in, the river flow is changing when he and other anglers fish. Many only come out early now, because the low flow means warmer waters.
And as Jim Litchfield, of the Reno Fly Shop, explains when water temperatures go up it adds stress to fish just to survive. So adding a catch-and-release can be too much. "It's not difficult to find fish, because unfortunately they don't have many places to go. The biggest thing we're trying to let people know is the water temperatures are high."
Meantime, on the other side of the river, at Sierra Adventures, Jim Bell monitors the water levels closely, too.
His business depends on it. He rents out kayaks, rafts and tubes. But when the water levels drop below 100-150 cubic feet per second he says, so does business.
Since last week, rentals have dropped about 60%. "It's really tubing only right now, that's about it."
But instead of sitting back and waiting for another storm, Bell's getting creative offering other rentals instead. "We got the bike rentals here and other things people can do. This last week, I ran three ATV trips."
All the while waiting for river levels to rise again.
TMWA says its plans to continue drawing from its reserves for the next couple months to keep up with demand from its customers and its downstream obligations. TMWA adds it has planned for a nine-year drought, so it has plenty of water in storage.
