Dogs allowed back into the Upper Truckee Marsh on August 1st

From May 1 through July 31 each year, dogs are kept out of the Upper Truckee Marsh in order to protect wildlife such as the Yellow Headed Blackbird during their critical breeding season.

Leashed dogs are allowed back into the marsh starting on Friday, August 1.

The California Tahoe Conservancy owns and manages the 600 acre marsh, one of the largest remaining in the Sierra Nevada, for the protection and enhancement of wildlife habitat and water quality.

"Thank you to all of the visitors and residents who complied with this closure and helped protect all of the sensitive species with whom we share this incredible natural resource," acknowledged Shawn Butler, the Land Management Program Supervisor at the Conservancy.

Many of the migrant species will continue to use the marsh as a stopping ground.

"Migration is very difficult work, and these birds are often right on the physiological edge between life and death. Folks that let their dogs flush the birds may be killing some of these birds without realizing it," warns Tahoe Institute for Natural Sciences Co-Executive Director Will Richardson.

The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office and Conservancy Land Steward continue to patrol the property to provide education and enforcement as necessary.

Established in 1984, the mission of the Conservancy is to lead California’s efforts to restore and enhance the extraordinary natural and recreational resources of the Lake Tahoe Basin.