Truckee River: then and now

1906 vs 2020 · Sparks, NV

NowThen

Then, 1906The 1906 postcard is titled only “River Scene, Sparks, Nev.” The Truckee is the river here, so it is the likely match.Photo: Brück & Sohn Kunstverlag (postcard) · CC0 · Source · resized

Today, 2020The Tahoe-Pyramid Trail follows the river between Sparks and Reno. Photo taken in 2020.Photo: Ken Lund · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Source · resized

The story

The Truckee River begins at Lake Tahoe and runs about 120 miles down to Pyramid Lake. It passes right along the edge of Sparks.

The river gave the railroad a path across the desert, and the town grew up beside it.

Today a paved trail follows the water between Sparks and Reno.

Did you know? The Truckee does not reach the ocean. It ends in Pyramid Lake, which has no outlet.

Historians argue about this. The postcard only says “River Scene.” It was probably the Truckee, but the exact spot is not known, so this “Now” photo is a match for the river, not the spot.

Fact or tall tale?

SolidThe Truckee River flows out of Lake Tahoe.
Lake Tahoe is its source, and it ends at Pyramid Lake.
Not trueThe Truckee River flows to the Pacific Ocean.
It ends in Pyramid Lake, in a basin with no outlet to the sea.

Sources

More: Look for historic photos at the Library of Congress

Stamp it in person

Go there, answer the question that only someone standing at Truckee River can answer, and add the stamp to your passport. Free, no sign-up.

Play Sparks

More in Sparks

Next: Sparks Marina. Written from the cited sources, not yet walked on site unless noted.