There will be a 2024 rafting season here in Tahoe
City,
and that is noteworthy because last year there wasn't one.
We found people in a great mood here in Tahoe
City tonight.
The unmatched beauty of Lake Tahoe is even more spectacular
when the lake is full,
and right now it's almost there.
According to a recent report from the US Department of
Agriculture,
the snow melt this season will be enough to fill
the lake for the first time since 2019.
There are many reasons why this news is worth doing
Flips over.
It feels good. It feels nice to see like nature
back to where it should be.
Getting into the water because you don't have to walk
on the rocks anymore.
It's sand because it's elevated higher.
Lake water flows into the Truckee River through this dam
in Tahoe City.
Federal regulators determine how much water should pass through the
dam.
The river meets many water demands on its winding path
to Pyramid Lake east of Reno.
One of those demands is river rafting.
This section a few years ago all got redone when
that tree took it out.
And then this section. We met Martin Adams down at
the dock where the rafts typically come out of the
water.
He's a manager at Truckee River Raft Company,
one of two rafting businesses operating between Tahoe City and
River Ranch.
So it's an unguided tour,
takes about two to three hours and you know,
it's nice mellow. Anyone can do it,
from toddlers to elderly. Adams explains why they didn't have
a rafting season at all last year.
We had tons of snow and because of that,
the runoff was really heavy.
So because so much runoff was hitting Reno,
they weren't letting any water out of the lake up
here,
just minimum flow, which isn't enough for us to raft.
But this year, the amount of snow hit the sweet
spot.
The rafting companies have received word from federal regulators.
They will be able to run this year.
We knew we'd have July and August about a month
ago.
They're taking reservations for those two months and hoping the
flow increases early enough to be able to add June
to the rafting calendar.
It's a hope. I don't know that it's going to
happen,
but we always hope for it.
In the meantime, it's worth a trip to Lake Tahoe
before the summer tourist season,
just to savor the beauty of the in between time,
the reflection on the river,
the lake at a healthy level,
and the feeling like you have it all to yourself.
There were some years the rafting companies got word they
were allowed to open the night before,
so having plenty of time to prepare this year is
a big bonus.
They'll be taking those rafts out of storage in a
few weeks in Tahoe City,
covering local news that matters.
Dennis Shanahan, Fox 40 News.