Glendale Water Supply and River Improvement Project

The Glendale Diversion Dam, located on the mainstem Truckee River in Reno, Nevada was an old rock dam spanning the entire width of the river.  The dam prevented upstream fish passage, was an entrainment risk, and inefficient at capturing water.  When the Truckee Meadows Water Authority (TMWA) first proposed a project for improved water delivery, it met with considerable community opposition.  At great expense to them, TMWA engaged the LNFHC and its Nevada Fish Passage Program, along with other partners to provide input on a design that would meet the needs of all parties.  The outcome was an innovative reconstruction design that provided TMWA with a showcase structure for municipal diversion systems, while enhancing river passage for Lahontan cutthroat trout and other native fishes.  The new diversion, completed by TMWA in 2011, has a low profile concrete weir with a roughened channel that restored connectivity, prevents fish entrainment and improves recreational use.  The collaborative effort and the partnerships that were built open the door for future projects to restore connectivity throughout the Truckee River.  This project demonstrates how the National Fish Passage Program, through partnerships, can meet the needs of municipalities while also reconnecting river systems.