What's the problem? On May 15 the lake was at 6,228.02 feet. When it reaches 6,229.1, more of the 17 gates at the dam in Tahoe City will have to be opened; so says a federal law. Only one gate has been open for many months. Conditions in the next month or so could dictate that up to all 17 are opened wide.

When more gates are open, more water flows from Lake Tahoe down the Truckee to Reno...and beyond to Pyramid Lake, the end of the line. But the Truckee is also getting water from Bear Creek (Alpine Meadows), Squaw Creek, Donner Creek, and so on along the river. Many of these sources below Lake Tahoe are not controllable (no dams), so Reno may end up with more water--a lot more water--than it wants or needs.

What does it look like when all the gates are open? Here is a picture by Mark McLaughlin, local weather/historian, of the dam in 1997. This is Mark's story:

"A major flood situation developed in December 1996 when a series of wet Pacific storms quickly filled Lake Tahoe beyond its maximum limit by three inches or so. The federal water master, Garry Stone, was forced (by law) to open all the Tahoe gates and inundate Reno.

"The resulting flood caused $650 million in damages. Ironically, the current legal arrangement about the waters of Lake Tahoe contains no provisions for protecting communities in the Truckee River floodplain if the Lake Tahoe water level gets too high. Until changes are made in the law, Reno will continue to be flooded out to protect even minimal shoreline erosion from a high lake level, in the Tahoe Basin."

The maximum, recorded level of the lake is 6,231.26 in July 1907, 99 years ago. The minimum level reached is 6,220.26 in November 1992.

Stay tuned.