The dam gates are open and the river is flowing, and rafting along North Shore’s Truckee River is open.

Tahoe City-based Mountain Air Sports and the Truckee River Raft Company opened this week and are in full operation.

The companies offer self-guided, leisurely five-mile floats down the Truckee River.

Most trips take two to three hours to complete, with patrons exiting at River Ranch Lodge near Alpine Meadows Road along Highway 89. Guests can park in Tahoe City and take free shuttles back to their vehicles after the float anytime before 6pm. Hours of operation are 8:30am to 3:30pm daily (weather permitting) and footwear is mandatory. Trips include parking, shuttle, paddles, life jackets and commercial rafts for two-20 people. Group rates are available.

According to Chad Blanchard, chief deputy water master, currently 200 cubic feet per second is being released from the Tahoe City Dam, Lake Tahoe’s only water outlet, which may increase due to the drops in the natural flow and snowmelt.