June 2020 Bulletin

Alpine Watershed Group works to preserve and enhance the natural system functions in Alpine County's watersheds for future generations through collaboration, education, and proactively implementing stewardship projects.

DONATE

Hope Valley Bank Stabilization Project —

Planning for Construction!

Alpine Watershed Group is planning to go to construction for the Hope Valley Restoration and Aquatic Habitat Enhancement Project this year. This is the West Fork Carson bank stabilization project in lower Hope Valley with two project sites.

Site 1 is approximately 300 feet downstream from the Highway 88 bridge also known as the 4th crossing, and Site 2 is the 2015 American River's log crib site, approximately 0.5 river miles downstream from Site 1. Work at Site 1 will mimic an abandoned oxbow feature by excavating a trench behind the current failing bank, far enough back that vegetation can establish prior to failure of the existing cut bank.

Work at Site 2 will expand on the previous 2015 American Rivers restoration project. The streambank behind the log crib is currently showing signs of erosion; proposed work includes the installation of additional woody material and live willows. Minor excavation of the stream bank will be required to smooth out the bend and accommodate the introduction of new vegetative material.

All project permits have been submitted, and though COVID-19 has presented some challenges, permits are expected to be finalized in time for a late summer or early fall construction start.

See project flyer for more details.

Project Site 1

Project Site 2

For more information or if you have questions, please contact Mo at awg.mo.loden@gmail.com.

Please save the date for our next online AWG meeting!

Tuesday, July 14, 5:30-7:00 p.m.

Craig Oehrli of the US Forest Service, Lake Tahoe Basin will be presenting on Blackwood Creek Restoration — Holistic Restoration Opportunities in Riparian Forest Environment. Craig will analyze this floodplain restoration project through implementation and post-project response, offering valuable insights as Alpine Watershed Group looks forward to implementation of the Markleeville Creek Restoration Project.

We will be using Zoom, so you can tune in from either your computer or your phone.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

For more information or if you have questions, please email alpinewatershed@gmail.com.

Markleeville Open House

Markleeville Bridge Project Update

Tuesday, June 23, 5:00-6:30 p.m.

Alpine County invites you to a virtual Open House with Caltrans staff to provide project status and information about the Markleeville Bridge project and other projects in our area. See flyer for details.

This “before” image shows our overgrown driveway.

After clearing, our driveway now offers a safer emergency exit route.

Funding to Cut Vegetation Still Available for Homeowners

By Richard Harvey, Markleeville

Once again Alpine County is facing a high-risk fire season. Removal of trees and brush is expensive and often requires professional help. Fortunately, there is still grant money available for Alpine County residents who are willing to work with their immediate neighbors to have flammable material cut and chipped on site. Last year my neighbors and I took advantage of this program. Here’s how it works: If you and several of your adjacent neighbors live in a high fire risk zone, the Alpine Fire Safe Council has money available for tree and brush removal.

A few rules do apply. Perhaps most notably, the funding at present does not allow for work within the 100-foot defensible space area around any home. However, areas beyond 100 feet do qualify, so the benefit is greatest for folks who live on larger lots. This was the case for my neighbors and me who share a common driveway that was lined by highly flammable brush and small trees.

Also, each homeowner is requested to pay a small percentage of the total cost. This amount will be determined by the Alpine Fire Safe Council. In our case, it was far less than the total contractor fee. In other words, we were able to lower our exposure to fire and create a safer exodus from our homes for a fraction of the actual cost.

The goal of the program is to create a mosaic of properties that are more defensible from wildland fire. We were able to work with the local Calaveras Healthy Impact Product Solutions (CHIPS) crew and the Fire Safe Council on decisions about what we wanted cut and what should be left. The end result was that we now have a safer corridor around the edge of our properties and a lot more peace of mind. The before and after pictures show the great results!

For more information, call the Alpine Fire Safe Council at (530) 694-1879.

Wander Your Watershed
Dandelions
By Melanie Smokey, Higher Education Coordinator, Washoe Native TANF Program

Hunga meh heshi, Di hamu angawee!
How are you and I feel great!

June in Alpine County is sensational! The abundance of green after a long winter is so welcoming. In the high country the dandelions are still a welcomed treat. The plant will be in different stages depending on where you are in elevation as well as near a shaded area, etc.

Stage One: The emerging dandelion is often referred to as the “lion’s tooth” due to the sharp jagged leaves. It loves to pop up in disturbed areas. It is full of vitamins and antioxidants. The leaves are a great addition to sandwiches and salads and have a nice green taste.

Stage Two: Dandelion flowers are a joyful yellow and have a sweet taste that can be added to meals. Some enjoy a jelly.

Stage Three: Dandelions are found around the world. This plant has brought so many children joy as they make a wish and blow the seeds into the wind continuing the cycle of this beautiful plant.

Stage Four: The roots are full of energy as well. They are great roasted and made into tea or cooked with soup.

Dandelion is one of the most useful plants in the world but also the must abused because dandelion loves humans but many humans do what they can to keep dandelions off their lawns by pulling them out of the ground or poisoning the plant, yet dandelions will show their happy faces again—just in someone else’s yard!

During this COVID-19 epidemic, be like the dandelion. Be useful, resilient, share your good medicine, and shine your brightest!

BE AWARE: The dandelion absorbs everything in its growing area, so do not gather and eat anything near public roads or around housing where people spray lawns, or county areas that are sprayed.

Harmful Algal Bloom Monitoring Continues

We are continuing the Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) monitoring program in 2020, but it will be scaled down from last year's monitoring program due to limited funding. In 2019, AWG sampled one site at Indian Creek Reservoir and one site at Wet Meadow Reservoir once a month and sampled four sites at Red Lake twice a month from June to October. In 2020, AWG will sample four to five sites at Red Lake only, from May to October once a month. Watershed Program Manager Mo Loden will record general observations and the water quality parameters of water temperature, air temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and conductivity, and she will collect water samples for lab analyses on nutrients, pigments, and cyanobacteria and their associated toxins. This program is again a collaboration with the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board, and the State Water Board is funding lab analyses and shipping costs.

For more information on cyanobacteria or to report a suspected bloom, please visit the State Water Board’s California Harmful Algal Blooms Portal.

To stay apprised of Alpine County reservoirs’ current safety statuses, please check the Public Health Briefs under the Departments pulldown menu on the www.alpinecountyca.gov webpage (under Health & Human Services), or you can contact Dr. Johnson directly at rjohnson@alpinecountyca.gov if you would like to subscribe to his distribution list for Public Health Briefs.

Until next time!

Manage your preferences | Opt out using TrueRemove™
Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails.
View this email online.

PO Box 296 │ 50 Diamond Valley Road
Markleeville, CA | 96120 United States

This email was sent to .
To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.