OPEN SPACE NATURAL RESOURCES
Roadway Sediment
This information tracks the amount of road traction sand applied and removed from Truckee’s roadways, ditches, and pipes by the Town’s Public Works Department.
The Town applies sand along public roads during snowstorms for better traction to prevent vehicle accidents. After the snow has cleared, the Town uses a sweeper to recover as much sand as possible to keep our rivers and streams pristine.
This information tracks the amount (tons) of sand applied and removed from Town roadways, ditches, and pipes by the Public Works Department.
Sediment does not exclusively come from road sand applied by the Town and may come from private property, Caltrans-managed roadways, or other sources. For this reason, in some years the percent of roadway sediment collected is higher than 100%.
When too much sediment enters a river, its water quality significantly decreases. Maintaining high water quality is important to preserve the habitat for fishes, particular the two federally listed fish species, Cui-ui and Lahontan Cutthroat Trout, found in the Middle Truckee River. The California State Water Resources Control Board has flagged our river for containing a high concentration of sediment. To restore the Truckee River to its previous health, we are reducing erosion and recovering all road sand before it can enter the river.
Road sand applied and removed is captured in the Town’s Cartegraph platform records. This software uses maps to link data to the geography of Truckee, so Public Works can determine where sand was dispersed, and the weight that was applied and recovered.