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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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| Forest Health Community Working Group Hosts Alpine County's Third Annual Arbor Day
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| Musser and Jarvis Watershed Assessment Report
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In AWG’s January Newsletter you may have read about the publication of the Musser and Jarvis Watershed Restoration 2024 Monitoring Report. This Monitoring Report, in addition to the prior two, contributed to the creation and publication of the Musser and Jarvis Watershed Assessment Report. The purpose of the Assessment Report is to provide information on work conducted in the Musser and Jarvis watershed following the Tamarack Fire, to describe the condition of the watershed as of August 2024, and to make recommendations for future management of the watershed. The Assessment Report features many informative photos depicting restoration project successes, current fuel loading in the watershed, and invasive species presence.
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| Acid Mine Drainage to the East Fork Carson River
In the February edition of Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board’s (LRWQCB) Executive Report, an article was included on the acidic waters being tested in association with the Colorado Hill Mine Area. The land is owned by the US Forest Service, and impacts to water quality are being investigated by the LRWQCB. Samples taken indicate a possible threat to human and aquatic health. You can read the full report here, with actions taken starting on page 6.
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Trout in the Classroom Activities
By Headwaters Coordinator Rachel Maurer
In February and March, AWG staff were able to join River Wranglers and High Sierra Fly Casters to provide activities in the classroom and at River Fork Ranch for Diamond Valley Elementary School (DVES) students as part of the Trout in the Classroom program. In the classroom, students learned about trout anatomy and habitat, gyotaku (gee-oh-tak-oo) fish painting, and mock fly tying. There were a variety of activity stations at River Fork Ranch that students participated in, including trout release, benthic macroinvertebrate identification, and a nonpoint source pollutant demonstration.
The third-fourth grade class and the seventh-eighth grade class at DVES got to experience trout in their classrooms this year because of host Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) and thanks to funding by High Sierra Fly Casters and the California Coastal Commission Whale Tail Grant Program. Rainbow trout eggs were delivered to the school at the end of January, and students were able to watch the fish grow and to care for them through the end of March, when they got to release the fish into the Carson River at River Fork Ranch. Bear Valley School (BVS) students have been participating in a similar program through California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and will release their steelhead trout before the end of April. BVS students virtually participated in the classroom activities put on by River Wranglers at DVES, and have been working with Stewardship Through Education for their program.
AWG staff are thrilled to have this program in Alpine County schools again and are grateful to NDOW, CDFW, High Sierra Fly Casters, Stewardship Through Education, River Wranglers, The Nature Conservancy, and Whale Tail for the partnerships and assistance in making these programs happen at DVES and BVS.
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| Update on Sierra Institute Stakeholder Analysis
By Forest Health Coordinator Neil Mortimer
As the Forest Health Community Working Group (FHCWG) moves forward working on forest health and wildfire resilience topics, part of the work that will be accomplished under the Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC) Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program Round Three funding is the development of a stakeholder analysis. When Alpine County and AWG applied for this funding, a component of the grant application was to contract with the Sierra Institute (SI) to develop a stakeholder analysis. The stakeholder analysis seeks to assess local interests, concerns, and viewpoints related to Alpine County’s landscape management. With the contract between Alpine and SI now in place, FHCWG participants have been compiling an initial list of potential interviewees for SI. Through the snowball sampling process, the initial interviewees that SI selects will suggest who else to interview. The outcomes of the stakeholder analysis will contribute to the development of the path forward for the FHCWG to best plan and prioritize their efforts on current and future forest health work within Alpine County.
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Climate Corner
CAUTION: Tiny Yellow Flowers in Bloom
By Climate Resiliency Fellow Bella Kurtz
As we delve into the spring season, numerous unique wildflowers will begin to bloom around Alpine County. During the months of April and May, recreators in Alpine County may be lucky enough to observe the rare Carson Valley monkeyflower (Erythranthe carsonensis). The Carson Valley monkeyflower is a small, annual herb that grows on sandy flats and gentle slopes in Washoe, Eagle, and Carson Valleys of Nevada and California. It flowers in April to May each year and responds strongly to the preceding winter’s precipitation—wet years tend to produce robust blooms while drought years may result in no blooms. The plant can be a few inches tall, has a yellow flower with a large red spot on the lower petal, and has narrow green leaves. Keep your eyes open to hopefully spot this rare plant and please tread lightly, as it is very small and can be easy to miss!
Unfortunately, the Carson Valley monkeyflower is threatened with becoming endangered across all or a significant portion of its range. The most significant threat contributing to the decline of this species is habitat loss due to urban sprawl and development. The species is being petitioned to be listed as an endangered species. To learn more about the status of this species and to understand effects and threats on local populations found in Mesa Vista and the Gardnerville Ranchos/Mud Lake, you can read the Center for Biological Diversity’s full petition to the US Fish and Wildlife Service here.
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| Save the Date
Become an AWG River Monitor
AWG will host a training for our volunteer river monitor program on Saturday, June 7. We will go through the process of collecting water quality samples for our longest-running program. Those interested in becoming a river monitor, and our existing river monitors, are encouraged to join AWG staff and California Clean Water Team staff to review skills and ask questions about methods, parameters, calibration, and all things water sampling.
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| West Fork Carson Vision Plan Update
In October 2023, the Lahontan Water Board approved the West Fork Carson Vision Plan, which is an alternative to developing a total maximum daily load (TMDL) to address water quality impairments. As part of the process, the LRWQCB will release annual updates on progress towards goals set in the plan. The latest update can be found starting on page 10 in the March Executive Officer’s Report released by LRWQCB.
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| All Things Watersheds
Biomass Pile – The biomass collection at Turtle Rock Park will open this Saturday, April 19, for residents to drop off woody debris and vegetation. Depending on weather conditions, residents can continue to drop off materials until May 28. See the flyer for more information and for dates and times that residents can drop off materials.
South Lake Tahoe Earth Day – This Saturday, April 19 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the South Lake Tahoe Earth Day event will be held at Lake Tahoe Community College. AWG will have a booth where you can create butterflies and dragonflies with coffee filters and clothespins. Do you know what California’s State Insect is? Stop by our booth to find out, and to learn more about our upcoming events and projects.
Washoe Earth Day – The Washoe Environmental Protection Department will host Washoe Earth Day at the Woodfords Community Gym on Saturday, May 3 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. View the flyer here.
Local News – Desolation Hotel is being highlighted by LRWQCB for their shift from on-site infiltration to off-site export for the disposal of treated wastewater. This aims to improve water quality in the West Fork Carson River. For more information, see page 3 of the March Executive Officer’s Report from LRWQCB.
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| Upcoming AWG Events
Wednesday, April 23, 5:00 p.m. at Markleeville Library – AWG Board Meeting
Saturday, June 7, time TBD – AWG River Monitor Training
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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.
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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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