Publisher's Synopsis
The Truckee River is central to the survival of humanity that has long clustered around its banks. Yet it has often been treated as no more than a utilitarian asset to be used and abused as the whims of the time suggested. This book traces that history from the degradation caused by mining, lumbering, sewage, and water diversions to the present-day effort to preserve and restore this precious resource.
Herein also is the tale of the mighty floods that have repeatedly swept through, and our continual efforts to contain them--from the ugly and insufficient floodwall-levee-dredging approach up to the Living River plan with its natural river with broad floodplains and levee setbacks featuring open spaces for beauty and recreation. And then, alas, the plan's diminishment due to two decades of federal dithering and rising costs.
Finally, there is a plea to do better by the river while there is still time.
