To the community,

The Incline Flume Trail is an 8-mile route above Incline Village that mostly follows the route of a Comstock-era water flume. This is part of the same water system that the popular Marlette Flume Trail follows.

The Incline Flume Trail is not an authorized trail, partly because it crosses private property and partly because of the funds needed to conduct the required archaeological studies to make it a real trail. There is an opportunity before us to solve both those issues.

Washoe County is considering a proposal that would transfer the private land that the Incline Flume Trail crosses to public ownership. This is a huge opportunity for mountain bikers and other trail users. It would be a major step to make the Incline Flume Trail off of Mt. Rose Highway a legal trail. Donors have already pledged to fund the required environmental and historic preservation studies needed before the trail can be adopted into the USFS system.

Once the trail is legalized, we can begin much needed trail improvements and repairs as well as ensure continued maintenance occurs. The initial efforts to legalize this trail were focused on a re-route around the private land, however due to the terrain, it would not have been the ideal routing for the trail and it would have been very expensive and time consuming to construct. This land swap would provide for the best routing of the trail as well as the historic preservation of the bull wheel.

More information about the land swap can be found online.

Let the Washoe County Commissioners know how important trail access and the Incline Flume Trail are to you. Especially if you have ridden and enjoyed this trail, please take a moment to send an email or attend one of the upcoming meetings and let your voice be heard.

Please write to Washoe County Commissioner for this area, Marsha Berkbigler, mberkbigler@washoecounty.us or call 775.328.2005. Also it would be a good idea to include the Citizen’s Advisory Board on that message at cab@washoecounty.us.

(Note: Washoe County addresses usually will not receive emails from Yahoo email accounts.)

Please consider attending the following meetings:

Incline Village/Crystal Bay Citizen Advisory Board Meeting: May 6 at 5:30pm at the IVGID meeting room, 893 Southwood Blvd., Incline Village.

Washoe County Commissioners Meeting, May 13 at 10am at the Washoe County Complex, Bldg. A, 1001 E. Ninth St., Reno.

Thanks for your support.

TAMBA