RENO, Nev. (AP) — With two months before the start of summer, the Truckee River's level around Reno already is dropping after flows into it from a Sierra Nevada reservoir were halted last week.
Federal Water Master Chad Blanchard told the Reno Gazette-Journalhe needed to begin closing Boca Reservoir's floodgates on Thursday because of its low water levels stemming from the four-year drought.
He says it's by far the earliest the flow has been cut off since record keeping began more than a century ago. The previous earliest date was June 5, 1992 during the height of another drought. Last year, the flow from Boca was cut off July 31.
The Sierra snowpack has been well below average the last four winters, with the most recent one the worst yet. The Truckee River basin's snowpack Thursday was 15 percent of average for the date.