Lawns can be a beautiful addition to your home, but let’s face it – we pretty much live in a high desert, and lawns are not very sustainable or practical here.  Lake Tahoe gets its famed clarity from the abundance of clean granite rock in the Tahoe Basin.  When you introduce fertilizers, fill soil and excess water, it puts additional strain on the lake by contributing sediment and nutrients to the lake, decreasing Tahoe’s clarity.  But thanks to the Turf Buyback program – a partnership between South Tahoe PUD and the Tahoe Resource Conservation District (Tahoe RCD) – homeowners can do the right thing and get paid for it!  Email: SJones@stpud.dst.ca.us for details. Also, Tahoe RCD’s Green Thumb Speaker Series will begin in June with “Turf Removal Techniques for the High Sierra.”  Visit TahoeRCD.org for this and other great conservation events.

2. Doo your duty – Pick up your dog’s poo!

No one wants to step in your dog’s, uh, “surprise,” while out walking on the beach or the local trails.  Fido’s feces contain a bunch of bacteria and nutrients, which can lead to algae blooms and decreased lake clarity.  Plus, it’s just plain nasty.  Make sure to grab a doggy bag before you take your pooch on a walk, and “Doo your Duty.” It’s good for Tahoe, and your neighbors will appreciate it too!

3. Kill the quagga mussel!

There has been a lot of talk about the dangers of invading aquatic invasive species (AIS), and boat inspections are now fixture at off-highway locations around the Lake to help avoid introduction and spread of aquatic invasive critters and plants.  Most boaters know to arrive Clean, Drained and Dry at inspection locations, but what about paddlers?  With unrestricted access to most of lake shores around the Tahoe Basin, local paddlers have a big responsibility to ensure they’re not introducing unwanted pests and plants to local lakes – and also to educate visitors.  Dirt, debris and standing water in boats or gear can easily introduce unwanted species into our lakes.  Visit TahoeBoatInspections.com and click on the Tahoe Keepers link to learn more about cleaning and self inspecting your canoe, kayak or paddleboard.

4.  Attract the birds, bees & butterflies with native plants in your yard!

If you’re looking to bring the wildlife back into your yard, Tahoe sierra native and adapted plants are the way to go.  Birds and insects pollinate native plants and contribute to the long-term survival and proliferation of our beautiful plants and wildflowers.  Whether you’re a seasoned master gardener or a landscaping neophyte, Tahoe RCD has some great (and free) conservation landscaping resources available that may include free native plants, removal of invasive species, and even assistance in designing your erosion control best management practices (BMPs).  Visit TahoeRCD.org for more details on conservation landscaping tips and how to take advantage of these and other free resources.

South Tahoe Middle-schoolers plant native blister-rust resistant sugar pines during Tahoe RCD's service learning project with the Sugar Pine Foundation

5.  Share your favorite play spot (or your second favorite) to bike, ski, paddle or hike, and how visitors should respect it.

This is the hardest one for many of us.  Locals love to get outside in our mountain playground, whether gliding through open powder fields in the winter, cruising some beautiful single track, or paddling the glassy shores of a high alpine lake.  But even seasoned veterans were new to Tahoe once, so take the time to be a good steward for Tahoe!  Informed visitors can better help to protect the “Jewel of the Sierra” from pollution, invasive species and more.  Taking the time to educate and share with the millions of people that visit the Basin every year helps us all in the long run.

Pete Brumis is the Public Outreach Specialist for the Tahoe Resource Conservation District.  He can be contacted at pbrumis@tahoercd.org or 530.543.1501 ext. 116.  For more tips, events and resources, “Like” Tahoe RCD on Facebook.

Hiker on the Upper Truckee (photo by Streamside Adventures)

Interested in the future of the Upper Truckee, or maybe even in getting involved in improving protections for its banks, wildlife and waters? One of our Basin partners, California Trout–in connection with the national network of Trout Unlimited–is hosting a series of open houses to discuss the possible designation of the Upper Truckee as a Wild and Scenic River.”Wild and Scenic” is a federally-recognized designation for rivers with outstanding recreational, cultural and ecological value, and ensures the free flow of water throughout the designated length of the river. Development is not prohibited on Wild and Scenic Rivers by the federal government, nor does it

A prize catch on the river (Photo by Aaron Keller)

give them control over private property. It does, however, limit damming and bring a brighter spotlight onto the great value of the river to both wildlife and human communities and economies. As the largest watershed feeding Lake Tahoe, a home to Lahontan cutthroat trout, and a well-loved local paddling hotspot, the Upper Truckee River certainly provides a variety of benefits worthy of protection.

To learn more about the Wild and Scenic Rivers System, California Trout and Trout Unlimited’s push for Wild and Scenic designation of the Upper Truckee, and its possible benefits for our Tahoe community, attend an open house on:

February 21st, from 4-7pm at the El Dorado County Public Library (1000 Rufus Allen Blvd. South Lake Tahoe, CA)

or

February 22nd, from 3-6pm at the Alpine County Library (270 Laramie St. Markleeville, CA)

For more information, contact Jenny Hatch at jhatch@caltrout.org, or check out the flyer on our calendar at http://www.tahoercd.org/index.php/connect/calendar

The TRPA Board voted to keep the same inspection fee for local “Tahoe Only” boats and to increase watercraft inspection fees for “Tahoe In & Out” vessels that come from other waterbodies or have never been inspected. Another change is the addition of a new decontamination charge for those boats not clean, drained, and dry when they arrive at the Lake.

2012 Tahoe Inspection Sticker Annual Fees

Inspection fees for all other boats range from $35 for personal watercraft and vessels under 17 feet up to $121 for vessels over 39 feet. As in 2011, there is an additional fee for the decontamination of all boats with ballast systems, because of the inability to verify if there is water in these systems and the additional resources required.

“A significant portion of the costs of this program are the decontaminations of boats that either come from infected water bodies or are not clean, drained, and dry when they arrive for inspection,” explained Dennis Zabaglo, TRPA’s Watercraft Program Manager. “Previously, decontaminations were paid for as part of the annual inspection fee. We are adding a $25 decontamination fee so that those who require this service pay for it,” he said.

According to Ted Thayer, TRPA’s Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator, “The federal sources of funding for the watercraft inspection program that we have relied upon for the last several years are in decline,” he explained during the Governing Board presentation. “We want to act now to ensure that this critical program to protect Lake Tahoe from Aquatic Invasive Species is sustainable.”

The new fee structure, approved for the upcoming boating season, would allow the Watercraft Inspection Program to achieve a higher cost recovery, as well as stretch current federal funding through 2013 as new sources of funding are sought out. Fees from the 2011 boating season covered only 29 percent of the cost of this program. The new fee schedule will cover 47 percent of the program for the 20

12 season with the remainder coming from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It is also intended to bemore equitable by rewarding those boaters who arrive at inspection stations with their boats already clean, drained and dry.

“We want to encourage boaters to arrive at inspection stations with their boats cleaned, drained, and dried. This will save them both time and money,” Zabaglo explained. More information on the Lake Tahoe Watercraft Inspection Program can be found online at www.TahoeBoatInspections.com

Remember…We’re All In This Boat Together! ~JB

Watering the Angora Community Demonstration Garden on January 12, 2012

Prolonged exposure to dry conditions without the protective benefits of snowpack damages plant roots and starves our soil microbes, the little guys who are responsible for nourishing our plants. When daytime highs are above 40, water early in the afternoon to allow the water to soak into the soil before afternoon temperatures dip.

Without significant fall and winter precipitation, this should be done one to two times a month. Watch for runoff and don’t resume irrigation until the soil receives the water like a sponge. Avoid creating a layer of ice over the plants you irrigate. Irrigation should be no more than the soil will absorb. Evergreens, and shallow rooted deciduous shrubs and trees such as maple dogwood and willow, new plantings and ground covers, including turf, are particularly susceptible to damage from winter desiccation.  Don’t forget to apply a heavy layer of mulch to reduce damage from drying wind, sun and freeze-thaw. Read these informative articles for more information:

Happy New Year Watering

Fall and Winter Watering

Feel free to contact Tahoe RCD (530) 543-1501 x113 with specific questions or to request a vegetation consultation for your property next spring.

Good to Grow,

Jennifer Cressy

Response from TRPA: November 12, 2011- Regarding water quality gains: Recent science shows that the declining trend in Lake Tahoe’s water quality has slowed over the last decade. The change in the trend coincides with restoration projects that were ramped up in the late 1990s.  TRPA is encouraged by these trends and feels that the investments being made in Lake Tahoe’s restoration are paying off.

Most of the large-scale restoration projects are funded by federal and state grants, but they are not enough to offset all of the impacts that our homes and neighborhoods have on Lake Tahoe. Local jurisdictions have water and air quality improvement projects they need to build as well, and funding is always difficult.  Property owners pay air and water quality mitigation fees with permit applications and 100 percent of these mitigation fees are passed through to the local jurisdiction in which they were collected to help build erosion control, stormwater management, and transportation improvement projects such as sidewalks and bike trails.

The TRPA recognized in the mid-1990s that regulating the built environment alone was not enough to reverse the loss in Lake Tahoe’s clarity.   In order to restore Lake Tahoe, we need to actively repair past damage.  On public lands, we have the Environmental Improvement Program fixing the roadway network, going after invasive species and restoring streams and forests.  But in our town centers, there has been a lack of investment and TRPA is updating the Regional Plan to encourage environmental redevelopment of commercial and tourist areas.  We can restore Lake Tahoe while building sustainable communities.

]]> http://tahoercd.org/blog/2011/12/kims-trpa-post/feed/ 0 http://tahoercd.org/blog/2011/11/issue-water-quality-forum-participant-issue-car-in-trout-creek-for-over-30-years/ http://tahoercd.org/blog/2011/11/issue-water-quality-forum-participant-issue-car-in-trout-creek-for-over-30-years/#comments Tue, 22 Nov 2011 01:00:18 +0000 Courtney Walker http://tahoercd.org/blog/?p=648 Continue reading →]]> Cold & Trout Creek Forum Question from a long-time Montgomery Estates Resident:
There has been a car in Trout Creek for over 30 years. Can someone please help me get it out?!

Follow up Action: October 11, 2011- The Tahoe RCD has been in contact with the Clean Tahoe Program and the Forest Service to attempt to remove the car. We have a meeting scheduled for October 21st to talk about logistics of removal. Depending on the outcome, either Clean Tahoe will remove with large equipment or we will collaboratively arrange a community work day to haul out with hand tools.

The Tahoe RCD will be updating this post as things progress….

UPDATE: November 21, 2011 - Crews from the CCCs, Clean Tahoe Program staff, Tahoe RCD staff and a concerned homeowner held a work day to try to remove parts of the car from Trout Creek.

Although some progress was made, it has been determined that more extensive tools will be needed in order to cut through the metal and remove the frame, steering wheel and dashboard from the creek.

Crews work to try to remove pieces of a car that was driven into Trout Creek over 30 years ago.

The goal is to improve the appearance of the creek and leave the components of the car that are buried in the creek.

We plan to revisit this issue next field season and pursue assistance from a local fire district for removal of the visible parts.  Stay tuned!  If you have any suggestions, please contact us, 530-543-1501 ext 113.

In addition to summarizing activities and accomplishments in 2011, presenters will highlight future plans and opportunities for invasive species control and prevention efforts for Lake Tahoe and Truckee area water bodies. Lake Tahoe and Truckee area residents and boaters are urged to attend and submit feedback regarding the future of the Truckee Boat Inspection Program, which is currently a voluntary program operated by the Tahoe Resource Conservation District, but may become a mandatory inspection program in the near future.

Portions of the AIS Fall Forum will be videotaped and available online after the event. Visit TahoeBoatInspections.com or follow @TahoeBoating on Twitter for updates and details.

We look forward to seeing you there! ~JB