USFS begins final stage of Upper Truckee restoration project, river closed in area

Beginning today, July 11, and going until October 14, the Truckee River will be closed near the South Lake Tahoe airport in order for the Upper Truckee River Reach 5 Restoration Project to be completed.

The U.S. Forest Service, in collaboration with the California Tahoe Conservancy, are beginning the final stage which involves diverting the river around the construction area to protect water quality and allow construction of the new channel to be completed. Boaters will be prohibited from entering the construction area upstream from the project. Signs will be posted at the Elks Club Drive boat launch location notifying boaters of the closure and a barrier will be strung across the river upstream from the temporary bridge to prevent boaters from going downstream. Fishing will also be prohibited in the construction area during water diversions. Fish will be relocated from within the project area into the Upper Truckee River both up and downstream from the construction.

Although this year’s boating season will be affected by the project, it is anticipated that the project will improve boating conditions in future years. The new river channel will be smaller than the existing channel so the water depth will be deeper and allow for longer boating seasons in the future.

On June 27, 2016, the second stage of work began that involved construction of a temporary access road and installation of temporary boundary fencing in the meadow area. For public safety, the Forest Service issued a forest closure order closing the project area to pedestrians from June 27 through October 14, 2016. The forest order is posted under the heading, Upper Truckee River Reach 5 Restoration Project, at http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/ltbmu/ForestOrders.

This is the final year of the four-year construction project to replace the existing stream channel with a new channel that is more stable and is connected to the adjacent floodplain, which will provide better aquatic habitat, support a healthier meadow ecosystem, and reduce the amount of fine sediment that reaches Lake Tahoe.

A map of the closure area and more information on the project can be found at http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/ltbmu/UpperTruckeeRestoration.