2 S Arlington Ave, Reno, NV 89501

Truckee River Whitewater Park

Park Description:

The Truckee River Whitewater Park at Wingfield is a Reno park offering access to 2,600 feet of Truckee River whitewater. The park is located at Wingfield Park in downtown Reno and features Class 2 and 3 rapids accessible to kayaks, canoes, rafts, and inner tubes.

Park Amenities:

Whitewater rapids.

Park Contact Information:

City of Reno - Parks & Facilities (775) 334-2417

Park Highlights

1/1

Park History

Click the image to read each topic's full text!

Truckee River Whitewater Park

Situated in the heart of Downtown Reno with parks such as Wingfield, Barbara Bennett and West Street Plaza, a series of concrete and boulder studded rapids can be found. Many locals like to cool off here whether wading, swimming, or rafting along the half mile stretch of Truckee River. Newcomers or younger residents of the Reno-Sparks area may think that Truckee River Whitewater Park has been around forever. However the white waters were constructed back in the 90s and opened in 2003 with a price tag of $1.5 million. It became Nevada’s first whitewater park and kayak slalom racing course. The history of this patch of the Truckee goes back to the days of the pioneers.

Jurisdiction: City of Reno
Date Opened: May 14 2004
Image Credit: Michael Misanik

The Early Truckee River

Humans have lived across the dynamic land of the Great Basin for at least 10,000 years with rivers starting in the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains, such as the Truckee, Carson and Walker Rivers, playing a key role to those early residents. Paleo-Indians were the first inhabitants followed by the two primary tribes that lived in the Truckee Meadows in the frontier days and still do today with them being the Washoe and Northern Paiute.

The Washoe have inhabited the region for at least 9,000 years, with the tribe being the original inhabitants of the lands that surround da ow, the Washoe name for Tahoe (sadly mispronounced by early settlers). Each year, tribal members still gather at Lake Tahoe’s edge to bless the water and themselves, and one of their most sacred sites is Cave Rock or De-ek Wadapush (rocks standing gray) on the southwestern shore today the area is protected as a State Park.

Also living in the Truckee Meadows area, the Northern Paiute roamed across much of Nevada, Eastern Oregon, and Southern Idaho. The Northern Paiutes have a deep connection to the lands and environment they inhabited with this being evident in the names of different bands. The Pyramid Lake Paiutes are known as the Kuyuidokado (Cui-ui eaters), after the Cui-ui fish, found in Pyramid Lake and nowhere else in the world.

As European settlers began making their way to the rich gold fields and fertile lands of California as well as the nearby Comstock Lode, tensions between the settlers and the Native American tribes grew with the Pyramid Lake War (also known as the Paiute War) be waged in 1860s with the conflict being triggered do to lack of food and raid on both side before the conflict. By 1874 President Ulysses S. Grant had officially established the Pyramid Lake Reservation with the Reno-Spark Indian Colony established in 1900.

Image Credit: Legends of America

Rise of Belle Isle

In 1910, a local attorney named Lewis E. Hinkley had the idea of transforming the area around a small island just upstream from Reno’s Virginia Street Bridge. Hinkley constructed walkways from the natural foliage banks, with the island itself quickly developing into the Belle Isle Amusement Park the following year including various attractions from an open air theater, dancing pavilion and a 60 foot ferris wheel. Hinkley promoted the new park as a pleasure resort with its various attractions with the later additions of a roller skating rink in 1912. To facilitate swimming and boating around the island, the river was partially dammed to raise the water level. Guests reached the park using a narrow footbridge on the north bank of the river (for more info on Belle Island check out the Wingfield Park History).

Following the bustling years of the Comstock Lode and the early divorce craze Reno’s image along the banks of the Truckee River began to deteriorate and the once-lovely area around it began to suffer. In the mid 1990s, Reno proposed a plan to redevelop the area along the river into the official Riverwalk. Since this time downtown Reno has undergone a steady revitalization.

Image Credit: Western Historic Photo Collection

1997 Flood

The 120 mile long Truckee River has been the site of many devastating floods throughout the history of the Truckee Meadows. The floods are triggered by winter rainstorms that melt the snowpack up in the nearby Sierras. There have been a number of major floods recorded in the area since before the founding of Reno.

From Drought to Flood:
Upstream from Whitewater Park, the United States Geological Survey uses a cableway gauging station to measure water flows. Using a pressure sensor and satellite communications, these water flows are measured on a constant basis. These measurements are monitored and reviewed by hydrological technicians. This information helps the community plan for short and long-term flood situations and effectively manage the upstream reservoirs. These reservoirs (Prosser Creek Reservoir, Boca Reservoir, Stampede Reservoir, and Independence Lake) help protect against seasonally high water levels of the Truckee River. In a typical flood, heavy rain or snowfall raise the river’s waters with new stream beds being formed when the river overflows its banks.

Flooding is not an issue until you build up a city along the river banks.When it floods, sediments begin to choke the river adding sandbars, silt, rock, and logs. The river cannot change its course and since the city around it defines its shape when it does spill over its banks the water threatens property and lives.

Before Reno and Sparks were built, the river had the ability to spread out in the wetlands and meadows on the east side of the Truckee Meadows. With each consecutive flood there is more sediment and less ability for water to flow through its natural corridor. In other words, it takes less water to overflow the banks, and there is greater danger of flooding. The community has dedicated continuous efforts to protect property while not damaging our living river system.

Floods throughout history:
1862 1875 1890 1904 1907 1928 1937 1943 1950 1955 1963 1986 1997 2005 2017 2023

The New Years Flood:
One of the largest of these floods was the New Years Flood of 1997. The flood occurred due to a powerful winter storm that crippled much of Western Nevada, most notably the Reno-Sparks area. The storm began on December 20 and lasted about three days. During that time, it dropped up-to two feet of snow in the region. At the time, it was described as the biggest winter storm of the decade.

Reno and Sparks weren't the only towns affected. Towns like Carson City, Minden, and Virginia City were also victims of this massive snow storm. At the storm's peak, around 16,000 homes were without power. The initial storm may have ended after three days, but the worst was yet to come.

All of that heavy snow eventually melted and was a humongous factor in causing one of the worst floods in our state's history. As the snow melted, the Truckee, Carson, Walker, and Susan rivers all began to overflow with rushing water. Additionally, a chain of rainstorms continued to hit the Reno-Sparks area, which only exacerbated the problem by melting the snow even faster.

It's estimated that the 1997 flood caused around $1 billion worth of damage. Runways at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport were entirely underwater, vast measures were taken to protect the city's casinos, and over 1,400 homes and businesses were damaged. Over 50 individuals were injured during the flood, and two were killed.

Eventually, the flood passed and the city began to recover. However, some valuable lessons were learned from this disastrous event. We won't be forgetting those lessons or the effect this flood had on our state anytime soon.

Image Credit: Western Historic Photo Collection

Reno River Festival

The Reno River Festival was born in 2003 to celebrate the completion of the Truckee River Whitewater Park which was part of a multi-million dollar downtown revitalization campaign. Over the years, the festival has showcased the top-ranking whitewater athletes in the world. It is truly a unique venue for whitewater competitors experiencing a wild river ride in the heart of Reno.The festival routinely draws over 40,000 visitors who enjoy sunning on the riverbanks, watching pro kayakers duke it out, listening to live music, shopping merchandise tents, sampling food and beverage gardens, and learning to kayak in the beginner slalom (a sporting event on water with a winding course marked out by obstacles, typically a canoe or sailing race).The Truckee River Whitewater Park was designed with features at all water levels. Hole 3 was designed from 700 – 3,000 cfs (cubic feet), and hole 5 was designed at 400 cfs to provide every freestyle move a kayaker could tackle. The original weekend of the RiverFest was set to coincide with the annual peak runoff on the Truckee River, giving us the greatest chance for perfect flows.

Image Credit: Reno-Tahoe-Carson

Nevada Humane Society Duck Race

Starting in 2016, the Nevada Humane Society Duck Race is a summer festival held at Wingfield Park where live entertainment, carnival games, vendors and more can be enjoyed by Truckee Meadow Residents. In the months prior to the event, the community is blanketed by NHS representatives spread the word about the event and to “adopt” ducks for a fee. Anyone is welcome to adopt a rubber duck, then spend a day in Wingfield Park to cheer on their duck as they race down the park of the Whitewater Course.The ducks are tagged and numbered for the chance to win various prizes. The duck race starts at 4pm with prize winners announced shortly after the conclusion of the race. All the fees collected from the Duck adoptions goes to helping fund the Nevada Humane Society so they are able to care for the many cats and dogs in their care.

Image credit: Kristin Oh

Get Involved!

Donate:

Make a donation to support the Parks Project or your favorite Parks Foundation program, project, or wherever its needed! Click here to donate today.

Volunteer:

Support our parks by volunteering with the Parks Foundation! Attend a volunteer event or choose an ongoing role. Click here to explore opportunities.

iNaturalist:

Out in our parks or open spaces? Try cataloguing the biodiversity around you with iNaturalist! All it takes is downloading the iNaturalist app onto your phone to get started.

Curious what's been seen in this park? Click the link below to see what species other have spotted!

Truckee River Whitewater Park on iNaturalist

Contact:

Have a question about our parks or the Parks Project? Email us at parksproject@tmparksfoundation.org!

Want To Learn More?

References & Further Info:

Contributor(s):

Michael Misanik (History & Content)

Erin Larsen (Editor)

Last Updated:

July 27, 2023 at 7:35:00 PM

Back to All Parks

Biodiversity

2 S Arlington Ave, Reno, NV 89501

Truckee River Whitewater Park

Park Description:

The Truckee River Whitewater Park at Wingfield is a Reno park offering access to 2,600 feet of Truckee River whitewater. The park is located at Wingfield Park in downtown Reno and features Class 2 and 3 rapids accessible to kayaks, canoes, rafts, and inner tubes.

Park Amenities:

Whitewater rapids.

Park Contact Information:

City of Reno - Parks & Facilities (775) 334-2417

Park Highlights

Park History

Click the image to read each topic's full text!

Get Involved!

Donate:

Make a donation to support the Parks Project or your favorite Parks Foundation program, project, or wherever its needed! Click here to donate today.

Volunteer:

Support our parks by volunteering with the Parks Foundation! Attend a volunteer event or choose an ongoing role. Click here to explore opportunities.

iNaturalist:

Out in our parks or open spaces? Try cataloguing the biodiversity around you with iNaturalist! All it takes is downloading the iNaturalist app onto your phone to get started.

​

Curious what's been seen in this park? Click the link below to see what species other have spotted!

Contact:

Have a question about our parks or the Parks Project? Email us at parksproject@tmparksfoundation.org!

Want To Learn More?

References & Further Info:

Contributor(s):

Last Updated:

July 27, 2023 at 7:35:00 PM