The effects could be seen immediately along the river banks, as the water began to flow up on brush and trees. At River Ranch, where the river begins to run stronger, the rapids went from tame to more challenging. Rafters leaving Tahoe City had a shorter and more active ride as the speed of the water increased.

"The ride was great," commented a visitor from Louisiana upon arrival at River Ranch. "The rapids at the end were a blast."

Despite the increased release at the dam, the level of Lake Tahoe continued its pace of between one and two one hundredths of a foot each day, reaching 6228.97 feet above sea level as of Monday morning. The delicate interplay between runoff, evaporation, and river flow appears to have not yet reached a balance and as the lake continues to rise toward its maximum, 6229.1', more action and more impacts are likely.

For dynamic graphs of recent flow and levels at Tahoe and along the Truckee River, click here.

If the gates are opened further this week, which some expect will be necessary, river rafting may have to be suspended due to safety concerns.

"If they take it up to a thousand (cfs), it'll be too fast for rafting," stated a River Ranch staffer.

The maximum recorded flow along the Truckee was 2,690 cfs, a level reached following the torrential rains in early January 1997. At that level, flooding and environmental damage was significant from Tahoe to Pyramid Lake.