This week in 1997, the Truckee River overflowed its banks and flooded downtown Reno during what became known as the New Year’s Flood. A series of unusually warm winter storms brought heavy rain on top of a deep Sierra Nevada snowpack, rapidly melting snow and sending surging water through western Nevada.
Beginning on January 1, floodwaters poured through the heart of Reno, inundating streets and businesses, closing roads, and damaging infrastructure. The Truckee River rose to historic levels as runoff flowed downstream from Lake Tahoe toward Pyramid Lake. The flooding forced the temporary closure of Reno-Tahoe International Airport, washed out bridges, and disrupted travel across Washoe County and beyond.
The impact of the flood extended beyond Reno and reshaped parts of the region in unexpected ways. In Sparks, floodwaters from the overflowing Truckee River rapidly filled the 100-foot-deep Helms Pit, a former gravel quarry slated for reclamation. What began as a devastating natural disaster ultimately transformed the site into what is now Sparks Marina, an 80-acre lake and recreational park, following extensive cleanup and city development efforts in the years that followed…