The sole outlet of Lake Tahoe, the Truckee River begins its 140-mile long run high in the Sierra Nevada, finally draining into Pyramid Lake, part of the Great Basin in Nevada. An important source of irrigation for this otherwise arid region, Truckee River has shown a dramatic increase in water quality in recent decades.

This increase in quality is in large part due to the growing popularity of the upper stretches of the river for whitewater rafting, kayaking, and fly fishing. As well as trout, the river is the native breeding grounds of the endangered cui-ui fish.

A popular whitewater rafting stretch is the River Ranch Run, starting from directly below Lake Tahoe for about 3 miles, through class I and II rapids.

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