Pioneer Trail Pipeline Project

Construction of New Pioneer Trail Pipeline and Pump Station

TDPUD will soon be restarting construction work on the Pioneer Trail Pipeline and Pump Station. This project began in September 2022, and will result in a new water pipeline and pump station to serve the Tahoe Donner area. This highly-anticipated water project is critical to the health of the community’s water service, and will strengthen the reliability of TDPUD’s water delivery system.

The Pioneer Trail Pipeline Project involves the construction of a new water pipeline and a new pump station to serve the Tahoe Donner subdivision. The new pipeline will connect existing water piping on Northwoods Boulevard to a new pump station located to the southwest of the intersection of Pioneer Trail and Comstock Drive. This area is currently served by a single water pipeline along Northwoods Boulevard. The existing pipeline and the accompanying pump stations were constructed in the early 1970s and are approaching the end of their useful life. Construction of the new pipeline will provide redundancy within TDPUD’s water distribution system, and will give the district the ability to rehabilitate the existing facilities. TDPUD has not taken on a water project of this size and scope since 2008.

This project also improves TDPUD’s capacity and resiliency in providing potable water and fire flow into Tahoe Donner. Four fire hydrants will also be added to the Trout Creek Trail area. TDPUD will also be installing $1M of new primary power and communications conduits in a joint trench along with the water pipeline for future network build out. TDPUD also plans to repave the full width of the trail in areas that are disturbed by construction. Final determination of paving needs will be made after the installation of the pipe and conduit is complete.

Map of the Trout Creek Trail closure to allow for a pipeline construction project

Trout Creek Trail Closures

This work requires closures to the Trout Creek Trail, as it did last fall. TDPUD and the project contractor, C&D Construction, have spent much time figuring out the best way to approach this project in order to complete the work in this year’s shortened construction season, while also being mindful of our community’s use of this trail and attempting to have the least amount of impact during peak periods. Given this year’s big winter, crews have been delayed on starting the project until after Memorial Day. The work that remains on the project will take a few months. Recognizing that closing the trail during the height of the summer would be detrimental to the lives of many of our residents and visitors, TDPUD and the project contractor, C&D Contractors, have found a creative solution. The trail will close from approximately May 30-June 30, then reopen for July 4^th weekend and remain open through Labor Day. It will then close again until work is finished in the fall. This plan balances the needs of the community with the needs of the utility, and will allow for the project to be completed without cutting off access to the trail during its busiest time of use.

During the closure, the Trout Creek Trail will be closed to all access from the trailhead at Northwoods Blvd, to about a half mile east of the Trout Creek Bridge. While a section of the trail starting from the trailhead in Downtown Truckee will remain open, the trail will not be passable from end to end. Access from Downtown Truckee to the Pioneer Commerce Center will remain unaffected.

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Pioneer Trail Pipeline Project FAQ

What is the Pioneer Trail Pipeline Project?

The Pioneer Trail Pipeline Project involves the construction of a new water pipeline and a new pump station to serve the Tahoe Donner subdivision. The new pipeline will connect existing water piping on Northwoods Boulevard to a new pump station located to the southwest of the intersection of Pioneer Trail and Comstock Drive.

Why does TDPUD need a new water pipeline and pump station?

Tahoe Donner is currently served by a single water pipeline along Northwoods Boulevard. The existing pipeline and the accompanying pump stations were constructed in the early 1970s and are approaching the end of their useful life. Construction of the new pipeline will provide redundancy within our water distribution system, which will give us the ability to rehabilitate the existing pipeline, among other benefits.

How does this project benefit the community?

This project creates redundancy in our water system, which makes our infrastructure more reliable.
Because Tahoe Donner is only served by one pipeline, it is difficult to take that pipeline offline to perform maintenance work. This new pipeline will allow for that work to occur.
There are firefighting benefits to this project as well. It will improve our capacity to provide water and fire flow into Tahoe Donner, and four fire hydrants will also be added to the Trout Creek Trail area.
The addition of a new pump station and the more efficient path of the new pipeline will improve the water storage management for the entire TDPUD water system, and will decrease our system’s energy usage.
We will also be installing $1M of new primary power and communications conduits in a joint trench along with the water pipeline for future network build out.

What neighborhoods will this pipeline serve?

This pipeline will provide water to Tahoe Donner, serving 44% of TDPUD’s water customers. Though the pipeline itself is focused on delivering water to Tahoe Donner, the project will benefit our entire system’s water storage management, and through better efficiency will decrease the energy usage of our water system.

How long will this project take?

The project will begin in Sept. 2022, and we anticipate finishing in fall 2023.

When will the Trout Creek Trail be closed in 2022?

The trail closure will begin Tuesday, Sept. 6 (day after Labor Day) and is expected to last about two months. The trail will be closed at the bridge over Trout Creek for the entirety of this period, and as needed at select sections to the east of Trout Creek for tree removal work. While only a small section of the trail will be closed for this work, it will still make the trail impassable from end to end.

When will the Trout Creek Trail be closed in 2023?

The trail will close from approximately May 30-June 30, then reopen for July 4^th weekend and remain open through Labor Day. It will then close again until work is finished in the fall. This plan balances the needs of the community with the needs of the utility, and will allow for the project to be completed without cutting off access to the trail during its busiest time of use.

During the closure, the trail will be closed to all access from Northwoods Boulevard to about a half mile east of the bridge (the area in purple on the map).

Why does the Trout Creek Trail need to be closed for this project?

These closures will allow for installation of the new water pipeline and conduits in the section of the trail where the pipeline aligns with the trail (see map for more detail). The total project is 8,150 ft long, and about 3,500 ft is along the paved Trout Creek Trail.
For the work that needs to be done on the pedestrian bridge across Trout Creek, that must be done in the fall during the low flow period of the creek to minimize any potential environmental impact.
During the fall 2020 closure, there will also be select closures along the trail to allow for tree removal work.