Drought in the West A Photographic Essay     
Reno/Truckee Meadows
Interactive Cartograph: Clickable place names, horizontally scrollable.
Bucks Lake ↓ ↓ Whites, Thomas Creeks & Alexander Lake
Webber Lake Cold Stream/Sierraville Creek → Sierra Valley (Alfalfa) → Feather River (North Fork) → Lake Oroville Brown, Davis & Franktown Creeks
↘ ↗ ↓
Little Truckee River
Little Truckee River
Steamboat Creek ← Washoe Lake ← Ophir Creek ← Tahoe Meadows
Independence Lake → Independence Creek ↗ ↘
↓ Davis/Davies & Merrill Creeks Lake Tahoe ↓
↙ ↖ Rock Lake ← (Upper) Price Lake
Stampede Reservoir → Little Truckee River 3 → Boca Reservoir → Little Truckee River 4 → Truckee River ← Donner Creek ← Donner Lake
↖
Prosser Creek ← Prosser Dam
Independence Creek: 4.2015
Independence Creek has headwaters at Independence Lake and joins the Little Truckee River shortly after the divergence branch into Cold Stream to Sierra Valley for alfalfa production, making Independence Lake the major contributor to Stampede and Boca reservoirs and the Truckee River.

Here the creek separates from Independence Lake seen in the background before entering the dam channel.
All content, including images © Billy Howard, 2015. —All Rights Reserved— High resolution versions available upon request to witness@diresituation.photos. Larger.
Independence Creek headwaters leaving Independence Lake.
All content, including images © Billy Howard, 2015. —All Rights Reserved— High resolution versions available upon request to witness@diresituation.photos. Larger.
Once an island, the creekbed is extending the shore across to the island which may become the new shoreline.
 
Normally a wide and full channel filled with snow in winter, the creekbed is drying up.
 
Spot shows where photographer was standing which was dry lake bed in Feb, 2015.
 
Satellite imagery for same location shows area underwater.
 
Dry meadow near Independence Creek in early spring.
 
Independence Creek flowing just east of Independence Lake.
All content, including images © Billy Howard, 2015. —All Rights Reserved— High resolution versions available upon request to witness@diresituation.photos.