Truckee River at Reno
Nevada · Paddling & whitewater
Measured at USGS 10348000 — TRUCKEE RV AT RENO, NV · NWS forecast point TRRN2
Reading taken Jul 28, 11:50 PM UTC
In its normal runnable range
At 346 CFS, this gauge is running 123% of normal for late July — above the 281 CFS median USGS has recorded for this date across 103 years of record (1907–2026).
Data-derived guidance from USGS and NWS published values — not official advice, and not a safety assessment.
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Flood stages at Reno
Official National Weather Service categories for gauge TRRN2, issued by WFO REV. Impact statements are the NWS's own wording for this location, reproduced verbatim.
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Major flood 14.0 ft · 18,200 CFS
- 14.0 ft Major Flood stage. Major flooding with serious damage from Mogul to Reno. Downtown Reno and the Reno airport begin to have serious river flooding roughly between 2nd Street on the north to Court/Mill Streets on the south. Transportation severely impacted, many roads and bridges flood.
- 14.5 ft Major damage from Mogul to Reno. Extensive flood damage in downtown Reno and the Reno airport near level of January 1997 event.
- 15.0 ft Near Record flooding between Mogul and Reno with extensive flood damage. Reno airport and downtown flood several feet deep. Downtown Reno floods from approximately 2nd Street on the north side of the river to Court/Mill streets on the south. Casinos, hotels, stores, post office, courthouse, phone building, bus depot, churches, museums and parks flood. Utility lines on bridges may be severed. Idlewild and Wingfield Parks flood up to 10 feet. Bridges likely closed except I-80, Wells and 395. Similar to 97.
- 15.5 ft Record catastrophic flooding from Mogul to Reno. Property and infrastructure in the floodplain sustain heavy damage. Reno airport and portions of downtown under about 6 feet of water. Transportation, power, phone, water, and hospital services disrupted through region. Only Interstate 80, Wells and Highway 395 bridges likely to remain open. Downtown Reno flooded from approximately 3rd Street in north to Court/Mill Streets in south.
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Moderate flood 13.0 ft · 14,500 CFS
- 13.0 ft Moderate Flood stage. Moderate flooding from Mogul to Reno. Only I-80, Keystone, Virginia street, Wells Ave and Highway 395 bridges likely to remain open. Flooding expected to begin impacting downtown Reno along north side of river near Booth Street and along Riverside and portions of 1st Street. Flooding may also start occurring at the Grand Sierra Resort RV Park unless protective measures are implemented.
- 13.5 ft Moderate flooding from Mogul to Reno. Flooding area includes downtown Reno with impacts expanding into multiple commercial and municipal buildings. Flooding may start impacting the airport. Slightly above the level of the 12/31/05 flooding.
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Minor flood 12.0 ft · 11,400 CFS
- 12.0 ft Flood stage. Minor flooding with bank full conditions from Mogul to Reno with significant inundation to Truckee River Walk, riverside parks and damage to park infrastructure. Impacts to transportation, as many downtown Reno bridges may be closed for public safety and to facilitate debris removal. Overtopping of river bank near Booth Street in Reno is possible.
- 12.5 ft Minor flooding from Mogul to Reno. River flooding low areas, parks, and trails between Mogul and Reno. Out of bank flow near Booth Street and 1st Street is possible. Arlington, Sierra, Center, and Lake Street Bridges likely closed. Debris accumulation or bank erosion may lead to expanded impacts. Similar to 1/9/17 flood event.
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Action 10.0 ft · 6,500 CFS
- 10.0 ft Monitor Stage, No flooding from Mogul to Greg Street Bridge in Reno. Significant preparations to riverside parks begin in advance of this level. Releases from flood control reservoirs (Prosser, Stampede and Boca) are cut slightly in advance of this level. Similar to high flow of 4/7/2008.
- 11.0 ft Very high flows with some inconvenience flooding of riverside parks and bike path.
- 11.5 ft Near maximum safe flow from Mogul to Greg Street Bridge in Reno, minor flooding of bike path and riverside parks. Close monitoring is necessary as debris build up or bank erosion could easily lead to flooding. Similar to 2/10/2017 flood event.
- Right now 4.30 ft
NWS forecast: 4.31 ft by Jul 29, 12:00 AM UTC.
12 months of flow at Reno
Daily values from USGS gauge 10348000. Provisional data, subject to revision.
Highest crests on record at Reno
| Stage | Flow | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 14.62 ft | 20,800 CFS | Dec 23, 1955 |
| 14.42 ft | 19,900 CFS | Nov 21, 1950 |
| 14.05 ft | 18,400 CFS | Feb 1, 1963 |
| 14.00 ft | 18,200 CFS | Jan 2, 1997 |
| 13.52 ft | 16,400 CFS | Dec 31, 2005 |
| 13.01 ft | 14,600 CFS | Mar 18, 1907 |
| 12.96 ft | 14,400 CFS | Feb 17, 1986 |
| 12.46 ft | 12,800 CFS | Jan 9, 2017 |
| 11.96 ft | 11,300 CFS | Dec 23, 1964 |
| 11.65 ft | 10,400 CFS | Feb 10, 2017 |
Historical crests published by the National Weather Service for this gauge.
About Truckee River at Reno
This gauge measures Truckee River at Reno, Nevada — the reading paddlers, anglers and outfitters on this stretch check before committing to a shuttle.
Wingfield Park whitewater; 1997 downtown flood benchmark.
Raw CFS means little on its own, so every reading on this page is shown against the USGS median for the same calendar day — 281 CFS for late July, from 103 years of record.
Because the National Weather Service also operates a forecast point here, the page carries the official flood-category ladder and the NWS's own stage-by-stage impact statements.
Truckee River at Reno — common questions
What is the current flow on Truckee River at Reno?
As of the last reading on this page, Truckee River at Reno was running 346 CFS at a gage height of 4.30 ft, or 123% of the USGS median for this date. The number updates automatically from USGS gauge 10348000, which reports every 15 to 60 minutes.
Is that high or low for this time of year?
The USGS median flow for late July at this gauge is 281 CFS, calculated from 103 years of record (1907–2026). Comparing today's reading against that median is the only way a raw CFS number tells you anything — 200 CFS is a drought on one river and a flood on another.
How often does this reading update?
USGS transmits from this gauge every 15 to 60 minutes. This page bakes in the most recent reading when it is rebuilt, then refreshes live from USGS when you open it. Readings are provisional and subject to revision by USGS.
What is a runnable level on this stretch?
riverlvl deliberately does not publish a runnable range. American Whitewater and the local paddling community maintain the correlations for this reach, and they are the authority. This page gives you the raw inputs — current CFS, gage height, the seasonal median, and the 12-month hydrograph — so you can apply whatever range you trust.
How fast can this gauge come up?
This is a free-flowing gauge, so it rises with rain in the basin. The 12-month chart on this page shows the shape of the past year's rises, which is the best available guide to how flashy this particular reach is.
Where does this data come from?
The flow and gage height come from USGS gauge 10348000, public-domain data from the U.S. Geological Survey. The flood categories, impact statements and forecast come from the National Weather Service's National Water Prediction Service, gauge TRRN2.