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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!
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A Warm Welcome
AWG is excited to introduce our new Forest Health Coordinator Neil Mortimer. Neil is no stranger to Alpine County, being a lifelong resident and a long-time member of our local volunteer fire department. Neil looks forward to bringing his experience and education and working with the Alpine Watershed Group. You can read Neil’s bio on our staff webpage here.
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| HAB Visualizations and Updates
To quote Tantor from Disney’s Tarzan, “Mom, are you sure this water’s sanitary? It looks questionable to me!” While Tantor was not speaking about waters impacted by algal blooms, the question of water safety based on visual appearance does still apply. Indian Creek Reservoir and Red Lake are monitored monthly during warmer months for harmful algal blooms (HABs) which, depending on severity of the toxin being emitted by the cyanobacteria, can be deadly to pets and livestock, and can make humans very sick. Teaming up with Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board, South Tahoe Public Utility District monitors Indian Creek Reservoir, and AWG collects samples from Red Lake. California Department of Fish and Wildlife also collects samples at Red Lake two or three times over the summer. The last collection at Red Lake was on July 17, and the samples came back negative for toxin, but due to the appearance of the lake and the ability for conditions to change quickly, a “caution” warning was put out to the public.
If you have recently been out to Red Lake, you may have noticed that conditions have changed over the summer, and the lake now has a green color to it. While the only sure way to identify whether a harmful algal bloom is present is through lab testing, keep in mind that if the water has a spilled paint-like appearance or strange odor, it is best to keep yourself, your children, and your pets out of the water. Fishing may also not be recommended, and certain precautions should be taken when preparing fish from areas with HABs. For more information on what steps to take to keep you and your family safe, please see California’s Harmful Algal Blooms portal. If you suspect a HAB, please Report a Bloom.
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| Climate Corner
And with that, the 2023-2024 California Climate Action Corps AmeriCorps Program is ending on August 15. We are so grateful to have had Bella Kurtz and Kaitlyn Garber’s help as Wildfire Restoration and Forest Resiliency Fellows for the last 11 months. Whether you have seen them in the field, read their monthly articles, or participated in their volunteer events, you have surely felt their mental, physical, and emotional investment in our community.
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Bella and Kaitlyn have taught environmental education lessons, assisted at two tree planting events in burned areas, led invasive weed removal at Grover Hot Springs State Park, tabled at numerous community events, assisted with project monitoring, and provided so much key help with the Forest Health Community Work Group planning and events.
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Their friendly demeanors, knowledge, and skills have been invaluable additions to the AWG team. While we are sharing the end of their first term, we are also thrilled to share that they will be returning for a second term at AWG through the California Climate Action Corps program starting with Creek Day 2024. Thank you, Bella and Kaitlyn, for all your hard work this last year!
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| Continuing the Forest Health Conversation
More than 20 folks, mostly locals, joined AWG staff and other Forest Health Community Working Group partners for a tour on prescribed fire in Alpine County on July 26. We are grateful to CalPoly’s Fuels and Vegetation Education (FAVE) program for helping to organize and facilitate this conversation. The message of the day was that collaboration between land management agencies, the county, and residents must occur, and has occurred, in order to incorporate prescribed fire into fuels management in Alpine County. We heard many residents express their support of prescribed fire “done responsibly.” Keep your eye out in future AWG newsletters and on the Forest Health Community Working Group webpage for the next opportunity to participate in this ongoing community conversation. As a watershed community, together we can improve forest health and work toward a more resilient forest!
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| Continuing Updates on Work and Volunteer Opportunities in Faith Valley
There has been some exciting work happening in Faith Valley over the last few years. The Faith Valley Meadow Restoration Project has constructed beaver dam analogs (BDAs), which mimic natural beaver dams, to slow down the energy of the water as well as capture sediment. The structures will raise the water table, reconnecting the channel and the meadow floodplain. In 2022, fourteen BDAs were installed, and a large rock grade-control structure was constructed at the downstream end of the meadow. In 2023, BDAs that were hit hard by the winter of 2022-23 were repaired, twenty-five new BDAs were constructed, and repairs and upgrades to the dirt road along the meadow were completed to reduce erosion and better disperse flow entering the meadow. The road repairs also gave vehicles a clear path to drive on so that vehicles stay out of the sensitive meadow habitat. If you have participated in AWG’s Creek Day over the last two years, you may have had the opportunity to take part in the work firsthand. In the final year of the project, repairs will be made as needed to the existing BDAs and the nearby road, and three more BDAs will possibly be constructed.
Want to learn more? Volunteers will help in Faith Valley during AWG’s Creek Day community workday on Saturday, September 21. You can contact Bella Kurtz at awg.isabella@gmail.com for details on Creek Day and Julie Fair at jfair@americanrivers.org for project information. There is also some work being done by American Rivers’ partner Symbiotic Restoration over the last two weeks of August, and volunteers are welcome! Contact Garrett Costello at symbioticrestoration@gmail.com to learn about this volunteer opportunity.
Some dispersed camping areas will be closed during this year’s work, beginning August 19. Signage has been posted in Faith Valley about the upcoming work, and additional signage will be going up this week to indicate the specific camping sites that will be closed. We appreciate your patience.
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| All Things Watersheds
Help California with Post-fire Restoration – CAL FIRE is looking for private landowners who own 10 or more acres of land to assist with California’s reforestation efforts by allowing for cone surveys to be conducted on your land, which could lead to seed collection. Click here to learn more.
- Water Arbor Day 2024 Seedlings – Help Sugar Pine Foundation (SPF) water the seedlings that were planted in April 2024 at Curtz Lake on Wednesday, August 14 from 6-7 p.m. Be prepared for a moderate walk on uneven terrain. Wear closed-toe shoes and long pants. SPF will provide a watering backpack if you can carry 20+ pounds. You can also bring your own watering container or use SPF’s gallon jugs. Click here to view SPF’s calendar.
Camp Like a Pro – The “Camp Like a Pro” initiative has launched in Alpine County. This program aims to educate campers on how to recreate responsibly through workshops and educational materials. For more information about the "Camp Like a Pro" initiative and upcoming events, click here or contact Alpine County Economic Development at (530) 721-1339 or jchevallier@alpinecountyca.gov.
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Upcoming AWG EventsWednesday, August 28, 5:00 p.m. – AWG Board Meeting at Markleeville Library
Saturday, September 21, 9:00 a.m. – Creek Day 2024
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We are grateful for the financial support of all who love Alpine County. We are able to lead volunteer workdays and field trips, support community science data collection, and host California Climate Action Corps Fellows because of your generosity. Thank you!
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AWG has earned a 2023 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.
Bella Kurtz, Wildfire Restoration and Forest Resiliency Fellow
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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