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| Alpine Watershed Group protects, conserves, and restores the watersheds of Alpine County by promoting sustainable community and science-based collaborative solutions.
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| Join us for AWG's annual Creek Day community workday!
Creek Day 2025
Saturday, September 20, morning
Please mark your calendar and look for details in our September newsletter!
We are working to identify projects for volunteers to tackle. If you know of a watershed-related need, or want to be a crew leader, please send an email to alpinewatershed@gmail.com.
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| Thank You to January Riddle
Thank you to January Riddle for serving on AWG’s board of directors for the last two years! While the trend tends to be that AWG board members serve many two-year terms, January Riddle's service once again illustrated the value gained from short-term board members. We greatly appreciate the fresh perspectives and insights that January brought to our discussions. Thank you, January, for making space in your life to be part of AWG's leadership team even as you were busy developing Arts and Culture Alpine County. We look forward to continuing to partner with you and the arts council!
You can view bios of all current AWG board members here.
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| Farewell from Rachel Maurer
Since December 2021, I have been the watershed/headwaters coordinator with Alpine Watershed Group, and I have the bittersweet announcement that my last day with AWG is in mid-August. I am proud of all the learning and growth that has occurred following the Tamarack Fire and in revitalizing outreach and education programs during my tenure. In 2022, AWG’s board and staff reenvisioned our mission to include focus on the entire ecosystem as a whole for protecting our landscape and water, and I think this was a powerful move in switching focus to the needs and interactions of the whole landscape. With the upcoming West Fork Carson Prioritization Project and continued collaboration on projects such as the West Fork Carson – Fuels Reduction, Aspen, and Meadow Restoration Project, I know that the efforts to protect landscapes and sustainably co-exist with the environment are moving forward in a great direction. I thank the passionate community members for helping guide restoration efforts and lead monitoring of natural resources. As I always sign off my emails, sending best fishes.
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| Staffing Update
Executive Director Kimra McAfee
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| I have been fortunate beyond words with the watershed coordinators I have gotten to work with at AWG since coming on board in June 2018. Mo Loden started right after I did, and three years later Rachel Maurer (then Kieffer) took over the reins. When our staff expanded to add our first forest health coordinator in 2023, we changed the longtime title of watershed coordinator to headwaters coordinator to better reflect AWG’s conservation focus areas.
Rachel’s legacy at AWG will guide us through many years of work to come. She cut her teeth on grant writing here, including securing $250,000 (wow!) in US EPA funding through the State Water Resources Control Board for the West Fork Carson Prioritization Project, and helping secure the required 25% match from Carson Water Subconservancy District. (And what does it say about work experience at AWG that Mo Loden is our Project Manager at the Regional Board?!) Rachel restarted AWG’s environmental education program, and garnered the funding from the Whale Tail Grants program to do so. Her intuitive, proactive, and professional approach led AWG in the direction she describes above. Thank you, Rachel, for dedicating your diverse skill set and your genuine kindness to our watershed community all these years.
We had planned for Bella Kurtz to join our team as soon as she completed her 1,700th hour during her second term as a California Climate Action Corps Fellow. We’d worked out a job description, and new AWG title, with her coordinating our volunteer and monitoring programs. Bella came on board in late July, but given Rachel’s departure, she is now picking up the baton as AWG headwaters coordinator. We are so grateful that Bella has chosen to keep growing roots in Alpine County. Thank you, Bella, for your two years of service as an AmeriCorps Fellow. I am excited to see how you will sculpt the position given your passion, interests, and expertise!
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| | Heritage Park Project Updates
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If you've driven over Caltrans' wonderful new Markleeville Creek bridge at Heritage Park this month, you've seen the obvious: The long-anticipated upgrades to the Markleeville Public Utility District (MPUD) sewer system are underway! This project was originally packaged with the Markleeville Creek Floodplain Restoration Project, as it is critical that the sewer improvements precede the floodplain restoration. To get funding for implementation, several years ago MPUD separated out this project. Thank you to the State Revolving Fund for funding MPUD's work, which includes a new pump station, an upgraded sewer line under the creek, and decommissioning the manholes in the floodplain on the north side of the creek—critical improvements to safeguard Markleeville Creek's water quality.
AWG and Alpine County have been working for over two decades to restore this reach of Markleeville Creek. AWG is ecstatic to announce that at the August 5 Board of Supervisors meeting, the Supervisors awarded a contract to Meyers Earthwork, Inc. to complete the project. AWG received funding for final project design from California Department of Water Resources through the Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) program, and Alpine County received funding from Caltrans for the restoration work, including monitoring the revegetation. We look forward to the project breaking ground in the near future. Thank you to the dozens (perhaps hundreds!) of people who got us to this point, especially past AWG staff and county staff.
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| Harmful Algal Bloom Funding Update
Since 2019, AWG has helped monitor for harmful algal blooms (HABs) by conducting monthly sampling at Red Lake. Due to budget cuts at the state level, monthly monitoring is not being done in 2025. There was still funding for pre-holiday sampling for the 4th of July and Labor Day at Red Lake and Heenan Lake. If you see the signs of a HAB, please report it using the California Harmful Algal Blooms Portal, as the toxin can only be confirmed through lab testing. You will need to be able to identify the location on a map and submit characteristics noticed. Noting the GPS coordinates and taking photos will help a lot with this process. Another thing to keep in mind is if you, a family member, a pet, or your livestock become sick after being around water, consider submitting a report through the same website. Symptoms after contact with a HAB include skin rashes, eye irritation, diarrhea, and vomiting. Animals may experience convulsions, and their exposure to HABs can lead to death. For more information on HABs please see the California Harmful Algal Blooms Portal.
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| AWG Birdies Fledge
AWG staff repeatedly let Mom and Dad barn swallow know that directly in front of our office door was a high traffic area for a nest, but they obviously knew best. Early last month the three nestlings fledged. It was such a treat to watch them grow up and launch into our wondrous watershed!
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| Curious about what AWG staff have been up to?
You may be wondering where the beautiful August newsletter banner photo was taken. Neil and Bella have been working hard in aspen stands along Monitor Pass to establish 15 transects and conduct baseline monitoring for each one before fuels reduction work begins. The banner photo was taken near Leviathan Peak. Learn more about this National Forest Foundation and US Forest Service project by attending the tour on August 18!
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| All Things Watersheds
Alpine County Angling and Business Impact Surveys – Help Alpine County Fish and Game Commission better understand the needs and opportunities connected to recreational fishing in the county by responding to the Angler Survey and/or the Business Survey.
Fire Restrictions – In July the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest Carson Ranger District announced Stage 1 Fire Restrictions, and Alpine County suspended target shooting activities due to these restrictions and the heightened wildfire danger. Please stay informed of current fire restrictions and report any fire activity immediately.
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| Upcoming AWG Events
Wednesday, August 27, 5:00 p.m. at Markleeville Library – AWG Board Meeting
Saturday, September 20 – Creek Day
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| Grants fund much of AWG’s work, but we could not do all that we do without private donations. We invite you to peruse our updated AWG Projects and Programs Summary. Then please consider making a mid-year gift to support our efforts.
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AWG has earned a 2024 Gold Seal of Transparency with Candid! Check out our Nonprofit Profile here.
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Ways to Connect or HelpWe always love to hear from our watershed community! Below are email links to reach AWG's staff, or reach us at AWG's office at (530) 694-2327. Please follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Contact Us!
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| A quick note for Gmail users:
To get our monthly bulletin email sent to your "Inbox" instead of "Promotions,"
click and drag the email over to your "Primary" tab.
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