July 2022 Newsletter

AWG depends on donations to help support our monitoring and restoration programs, like sampling for harmful algal blooms and planning for our annual Creek Day community workday.

Please make a mid-year donation today!

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Photo by Judy Wickwire

West Fork Carson River - Fuels Reduction, Aspen, and Meadow Restoration Project Tour

Tuesday, July 12, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Please join Alpine Watershed Group, National Forest Foundation, and US Forest Service staff for a walking tour in Hope Valley. Come learn more about this exciting project that will improve forest health by reducing fuels, enhancing aspen stands, and restoring meadows.

RSVP here for meeting location and details.

FLYER

For more information, contact Rachel at (530) 694-2327 or awg.rachel@gmail.com.

Monitoring Highlights

June and July tend to be the busiest time of year for field work at AWG. Here are photographs of some of what we have been up to.

Thank you to our volunteer River Monitors for gathering water quality data across the Carson River watershed on June 11-13!

AmeriCorps Member Sierra Riker helped American Rivers collect data on beaver presence in Faith Valley.

Watershed Coordinator Rachel Kieffer surveyed vegetation percent cover for the Hope Valley Restoration and Aquatic Habitat Enhancement Project.

Rachel and Sierra did baseline aspen monitoring for the West Fork Carson River - Fuels Reduction, Aspen, and Meadow Restoration Project, a partnership with National Forest Foundation and US Forest Service.

Helen Loffland of The Institute for Bird Populations conducted bird and vegetation monitoring as AWG's partner on a project to monitor meadow recovery from the Tamarack Fire, funded by a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant.

This is one of the Musser and Jarvis watershed photo point monitoring shots of an area seeded by volunteers last November. Thanks to Bill Young for helping Sierra with this monitoring!

Faith Valley Update

Signage is beginning to go up around the Faith Valley dispersed camping area to notify users of some areas that will be temporarily closed this fall. Starting next month, the first phase of the Faith Valley Meadow Restoration Project by American Rivers will kick off. Construction in 2022 is anticipated from mid-August through October. More information can be found in our May 2022 Newsletter.

For more information about the project and closures, please contact Julie Fair at jfair@americanrivers.org.

All Things Watersheds

Please read the latest Alpine County Public Health Brief for more details on the Danger Level Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) detected at Indian Creek Reservoir from samples collected on June 22, 2022, here.
Alpine County Public Health Officer Dr. Richard Johnson also shared this Algal Bloom Fact Sheet created by the State Water Resources Control Board.
Tamarack Fire Recovery Update Meeting – The recording from this June 28 Alpine County public meeting is available here and the slides here. This comprehensive overview of all of the current and future Tamarack Fire recovery programs is a must-see.
Check out Carson Water Subconservancy District's Summer/Fall Watershed Connections newsletter.
Do you hike in Thornburg Canyon? ATA has been leaving out filled buckets of water at the trailhead so hikers can help water the newly planted trees in the burned area. Contact Andy Lovell at ata.andyl@gmail.com for details or for information on volunteering with ATA. Trail maintenance is critical to preventing erosion and sedimentation into streams.

Upcoming AWG Events

AWG Meeting (Project Site Tour) — Tuesday, July 12, 5:30 p.m.

Creek Day Community Workday — Saturday, September 17

Ways to Connect or Help

We 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.

Kimra McAfee, Executive Director
Rachel Kieffer, Watershed Coordinator
Sierra Riker, Monitoring & Outreach Specialist, Sierra Nevada AmeriCorps Partnership (SNAP)

Contact Us!

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Until next time!

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

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