Infestation

We are ready for some glad tidings this holiday season. While we look forward to the spirit of generosity and warmth the season brings, many are also hoping the New Year will deliver a meaningful reset. Propelling ourselves forward and out of crisis will require fortitude and drive. The pending vaccine is a bright spot on the horizon, but there are other positive indicators for better days to come.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - If they were flowers on the ground or money in trees, most would welcome them. But they aren't. And love them or hate them, they’re back!

Miller moths, or the army cutworm, have become a nuisance in many parts of Lake Tahoe over the last few weeks, but not all areas have been affected. Those who have them around their homes are seeing dozens each night, swarming around their lights both inside and outside.

As the Fire Chief serving the north and west shores of Lake Tahoe, I am acutely aware and concerned about the potential for catastrophic wildfire here.

The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) will continue a project to eradicate, control, and contain known infestations of invasive plants in the Lake Tahoe Basin using chemical treatment. Work will take place at approximately 90 infestations sites (105 acres) beginning in late May and continuing through September 2019.

This summer marks the tenth anniversary of Lake Tahoe’s Watercraft Inspection Program. Under the program, every motorized watercraft is inspected to ensure it is clean, drained, and dry and not carrying aquatic invasive species before launching at Tahoe.

Placer County health officials have confirmed that a man who died on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe tested positive for hantavirus.

They said the resident likely contracted the virus from rodents in a private residence in the Lake Tahoe region where the resident lived and worked. Health officials do not believe the public is at ongoing risk from the source of infection associated with the fatality.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) will soon begin the process of opening recreational facilities in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Weather and snow conditions permitting, Inspiration Point will be the first site to open on Saturday, April 14, 2018. Baldwin and Nevada beaches open April 28. The Taylor Creek Visitor Center opens Friday, May 25. The Tallac Historic Site parking area opens Tuesday, May 15, and will be staffed beginning Saturday, May 26.

The following is a list of opening/service dates, weather and snow conditions permitting:

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Starting later this month, the USFS Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) will start using chemical treatment to try and eradicate, control and contain known infestations of invasive plants. Their focus will be on 90 sites covering 18.25 acres of sites inside the Lake Tahoe Basin.

Dead trees along Highway 50 will be removed over the next few weeks, requiring Caltrans to intermittently close portions of the road between Pollock Pines and Camino.

An emergency $3.2 million contract with Doug Veerkamp General Engineering to in response to the thousands of trees impacted by the drought and the bark beetle infestation all across California. The project in El Dorado County is one of several ongoing to address motorist safety.

A 4,000 acres project in the North Lake Tahoe area is underway to thin trees in the forests to be both fire safe by reducing fuels, and to keep the forest healthy.

The latest project in the Incline Village area started last week on approximately 355 acres of National Forest System lands above Incline Village. Mechanical cut-to-length (CTL) tree removal will take place on USFS urban lots and in areas adjacent to communities over the next several months and some areas will be closed for public safety.

The number of dead trees in the Sierra Nevada are now at historic levels and have fueled the risk of catastrohpic wildfires according to the U.S. Forest Service.

They announced Wednesday that they have identified an additional 26 million dead trees in California since October 2015, bringing the total to at least 66 million dead trees in the state. The most recent additions are located in six counties across 760,000 acres in the Southern Nevada region.

Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are one of the most serious challenges facing Lake Tahoe. They continuously threaten to damage its unique environment and famed water clarity and degrade the world-class recreational experiences residents and millions of visitors enjoy each year.

Fortunately, Tahoe is a national leader in fighting AIS, with the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and 40 public and private partners working to prevent, detect, and remove harmful infestations.

A newly released scientific study highlights the importance of collaborative work to prevent the introduction of aquatic invasive species at Lake Tahoe, and confirms what many public and private stakeholders have feared: That the invasive quagga mussel, if introduced, could establish in our mountain lake’s clear, iconic waters.

Divers are mobilizing at the mouth of Emerald Bay to start removing 5 acres of rubber mats that were laid on the lake bottom two years ago for a pilot project to control Asian clam populations in the area.

Divers are anticipated to be working in the water through November, so boaters are asked to exercise caution when entering and exiting Emerald Bay and obey a no-wake zone that extends 600 feet from shore at Lake Tahoe.

If you've noticed that the Jeffrey Pines near the intersection of Highway 50 and Pioneer appear to be dying, you may rest assured there is no immediate cause for concern.

The yellowing of the pine needles is caused by the needleminer, a native insect species that feeds on the needs of pine trees.

Below is this week's fishing report for rivers, lakes and streams in Nevada, Northern California, Lake Tahoe and the Sierra. This report is for the week of Dec. 12-18. We want to note a big fish caught by Eric St. Denis of South Lake Tahoe, Calif., pictured above. Eric caught a 28-pound, 9-ounce Mackinaw trout at Lake Tahoe on Dec. 9, at 10:30 a.m. Photos courtesy of Gene St. Denis of Blue Ribbon Charters.
The Lake Tahoe record for Mackinaw Trout is a 37-pound, 6-ounce (44 inches in length) trophy caught by Robert Aronsen, way back in 1974. To date, only a handful of Macks have been caught that have weighed 30 pounds or more.

Here is this week's fishing report covering rivers, lakes and streams in Nevada, Northern California and the Sierra. This report is for the week of Oct. 31 through Nov. 6.

Rubber barriers bound for the lakebed of Lake Tahoe’s Emerald Bay are being assembled at the University of California, Davis, as part of the biggest Asian clam control project in the lake’s history.

The invasive clams threaten the lake's health and famed clarity.

UC Davis scientists, staff and students are unfolding the long, black mats and enhancing them with rebar, brass grommets and valves that will hold the barriers in place underwater and enable scientific analysis of the project.

Boaters heading to Lake Tahoe in the next six weeks may experience a short delay when entering Emerald Bay due to an Asian clam control project that will be taking place there.
The Asian clam control project is being implemented by a team of partners from the Lake Tahoe Aquatic Invasive Species Program, with plans to treat an area of up to 5 acres at the mouth of Emerald Bay. Treatment will be accomplished by covering the infested lake bottom with thin rubber barriers, augmented with organic material, that reduce the available oxygen and smother the clams. It will be the largest project of its type in the history of Lake Tahoe.

Here is this week's fall fishing report for rivers, lakes and streams in Nevada, Northern California and the Sierra. This report is for the week of Oct. 4-10.

Here is this week's fishing report for rivers, lakes and streams in Nevada, Northern California and the Sierra. This report is for the week of Sept. 26 through Oct. 2.

Here is this week's fishing report for rivers, lakes and streams in Nevada, Northern California and the Sierra. This report is for the week of September 19-25.

ALMANOR LAKE, CALIF:
Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500) (www.shastacascade.com) reports:

Here is this week's fishing report for Northern California, Nevada, Lake Tahoe and the Sierra-area rivers, lakes and streams. Fall colors are around the corner for the Sierra and Lake Tahoe region. Enjoy the fishing while the weather is still good and don't forget to pack your sunscreen and fishing license. This report is for the week of Sept. 5-11.

ADOBE POND, CALIF:
Tom Loe of Sierra Drifters Fly Fishing Guide Service (760-935-4250) (www.sierradrifters.com) reports:

Here is this week's fishing report for rivers, lakes and streams for Northern California, the Sierra and across Nevada. This report is for the week of August 16.