storm

A Nevada Department of Transportation project to repave and enhance Kingsbury Grade last year has received a Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Best in the Basin Award.

The project substantially completed ahead of schedule in 2014, and was recognized as a water quality and erosion control improvement that helped enhance the Lake Tahoe environment.

Everyone hopes for a winter of big storms at Lake Tahoe. Recent media hype evokes images of a "Godzilla" El Niño. But for Tahoe, big storms come with big impacts to Lake clarity as snowmelt and stormwater runoff transport pollutants and fine sediment into the Lake.

So how do Tahoe communities protect the Lake from big storm events?

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

State Route 89 (Placer County): Work continues on a $70.1 million project from Tahoma to the "Y" junction with State Route 28 in Tahoe City on Lake Tahoe’s West Shore that will upgrade storm water drainage and treatment systems, add curb and gutter, resurface and realign the road, add new left-turn pockets and widen shoulders on a 9-mile stretch of the highway. Completion is expected in fall 2016.

High above the Lake Tahoe Basin rim, a six-member U.S. Forest Service trail crew has been busy reconstructing the Kingsbury Stinger Trail, located on lower Kingsbury Grade. The upgraded trail will remain open to Off-Highway Vehicles (OHVs) 50-inches wide (or less) including all-terrain vehicles and motorcycles and non-motorized recreation use such as mountain bikes, hikers and equestrians. When completed, the new trail will offer a thrill-seeking OHV experience, while reducing erosion and impacts to forest resources.

Lawmakers from Nevada and California met Monday on the shores of Lake Tahoe to discuss how to protect a national treasure as it faces continued threats to water clarity, invasive species, wildfire and drought.

Ever since President Bill Clinton held the first meeting in South Lake Tahoe in 1997, the annual focus of the Lake Tahoe Summit is to protect what Mark Twain called "the fairest picture the whole world affords."

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

State Route 89 (Placer County): Work continues on a $70.1 million project from Tahoma to the "Y" junction with State Route 28 in Tahoe City on Lake Tahoe’s West Shore that will upgrade storm water drainage and treatment systems, add curb and gutter, resurface and realign the road, add new left-turn pockets and widen shoulders on a 9-mile stretch of the highway. Completion is expected in fall 2016.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS
State Route 89 (Placer County): Work continues on a $70.1 million project from Tahoma to the "Y" junction with State Route 28 in Tahoe City on Lake Tahoe’s West Shore that will upgrade storm water drainage and treatment systems, add curb and gutter, resurface and realign the road, add new left-turn pockets and widen shoulders on a 9-mile stretch of the highway. Completion is expected in fall 2016.

Late-Nite Productions is proud to present Dirt Nasty plus guests, Smoov-e and DJ Aspect. This is happening on Saturday, August 8, 2015 at Whiskey Dicks Saloon in South Lake Tahoe. Tickets are $15 adv. at Whiskey Dicks, The Spot (South Lake Tahoe), online at www.Ticketweb.com or $20 at the door.

DIRT NASTY:

Long Term Projects

State Route 89 (Placer County): Work continues on a $70.1 million project from Tahoma to the "Y" junction with State Route 28 in Tahoe City on Lake Tahoe’s West Shore that will upgrade storm water drainage and treatment systems, add curb and gutter, resurface and realign the road, add new left-turn pockets and widen shoulders on a 9-mile stretch of the highway. Completion is expected in fall 2016.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

State Route 89 (Placer County): Work continues on a $70.1 million project from Tahoma to the "Y" junction with State Route 28 in Tahoe City on Lake Tahoe’s West Shore that will upgrade storm water drainage and treatment systems, add curb and gutter, resurface and realign the road, add new left-turn pockets and widen shoulders on a 9-mile stretch of the highway. Completion is expected in fall 2016.

There were just a few residents in attendance at Tuesday's construction kickoff meeting about the City of South Lake Tahoe's Sierra Tract Erosion Control Project, Phases 3 & 4. The project will reduce erosion and sediment discharges in to the Upper Truckee River and Lake Tahoe.

City planners and the contractor were on hand to present the building schedule and explain what residents will experience over the next two building seasons.

9:00 p.m. update:

This just in from the Douglas County Sheriff's Department: On June 27, 2015, at approximately 6:17 p.m., the East Fork Fire District in Douglas County responded to a report of several wildland fires along the east side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

There have been reports of six fires along the west side of the Carson Valley.

East Fork Fire, along with the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) have responded to the multiple fires and are working to access each of the fires.

A very strong storm cell is moving across the east side of Lake Tahoe and the Carson Valley this evening, causing some small fires.

The National Weather Service in Reno issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for western Carson City, Minden, Gardnerville, the Carson Valley and Lake Tahoe. The warning is through at least 6:15 p.m. and extends through the Carson Range.

It is expected to impact the east side of Lake Tahoe and into Carson City and Carson Valley. Wind gusts to 60 mph, penny sized hail and heavy rain are possible with this storm, according to the weather service.

Here is a list of road projects around the Lake Tahoe basin.

U.S. Highway 50 (El Dorado County) from the junction with State Route 89 to 2nd Street in South Lake Tahoe: Eastbound motorists can expect alternating lane closures from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Monday through Friday for gas line relocation work. Eastbound motorists can also expect the right shoulder closed at the same location from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for trenching.

Here is a list of road projects around the Lake Tahoe basin.

U.S. Highway 50 (El Dorado County) from the junction with State Route 89 to 2nd Street in South Lake Tahoe: Eastbound motorists can expect alternating lane closures from 5 p.m. to 11 a.m. Monday through Friday for gas line relocation work.

Twenty years and many meetings later, the Tahoe Valley Area Plan unanimously passed the first of two final hurdles at Tuesday's City Council meeting.

In the first reading to adopt the three resolutions which make up the plan, Mayor Hal Cole and the City Council thanked everyone who was part of the long process to start shaping things up at the "Y". "This plan will have an impact for years to come," said Cole.

Heavy rains in February caused part of the rock face at Cave Rock to fall into the lanes of traffic on Highway 50. A temporary fix was completed at that time.

Depending on the weather, the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) plans on closing two lanes in order to further evaluate the damage and secure the Cave Rock rock face and slope on U.S. 50, Lake Tahoe following recent rockfall.

The 3rd Annual Lake Tahoe Reggae Festival will be held at the Hard Rock Hotel Outdoor Arena on Saturday, June 27. The concert is open to all ages and will feature Iration, Matisyahu, Don Carlos, The Green, The Expendables, Fortunate Youth, Vokab Kompany, Squarefield Massiv and more.

Advanced general admission tickets for the reggae festival are $45, VIP tickets are $90; and kids 12 and under are only $10, and kids under 6 are FREE. All tickets can be purchased on line.

Location

Now that weather is favorable for roadwork, Caltrans and NDot have begun their projects around Lake Tahoe and the surrounding areas.

Long term projects:

State Route 89 (Placer County): Work continues on a $70.1 million project from Tahoma to the "Y" junction with State Route 28 in Tahoe City on Lake Tahoe's West Shore that will upgrade storm water drainage and treatment systems, add curb and gutter, resurface and realign the road, add new left-turn pockets and widen shoulders on a 9-mile stretch of the highway. Completion is expected in fall 2016.

City Councilwoman JoAnn Conner and just one member of the public showed up at the South Lake Tahoe council chambers on Wednesday as Caltrans unveiled their $57 million U.S. Highway 50 Improvement Project. This three year project will have major impacts on businesses and travel from the "Y" to Trout Creek Bridge starting in 2017 so Caltrans officials at the presentation expected more involvement from the community.

The Nevada Department of Transportation’s Carson City Freeway Project has reached an important milestone with the recent opening of construction contract bids for the project’s final leg.

Road and Highway Builders’ approximately $42 million bid was named as the apparent low bid for the project. Final bid approval and contract execution will take place in future weeks, with the contract pending ultimate approval at the state transportation board’s May 11 meeting.

Let us start with a common interactive scenario for Lake Tahoe:

40 years ago a family came to Lake Tahoe, walked to the water’s edge of a very full lake (on that day in 1975, Tahoe’s surface elevation was at 6228 feet), and said, “What a beautiful lake! Look how clear it is!” and they spent the rest of their vacation not knowing the environmental direction that Tahoe was heading.

Right on the heels of Wednesday's historic and meager snowpack measurement, the National Weather Service (NWS) is forecasting a chance of snow Sunday, Monday and Tuesday next week. A storm system will drop southeast from the Gulf of Alaska, bringing with it some valley rain and mountain snow Sunday into Tuesday

While the forecast isn't for any significant or measurable snowfall, both Nevada and California can use whatever they can get. Accuweather.com is calling for less than an inch total while NWS has higher hopes.

Here is the NWS forecast for South Lake Tahoe at lake level:

After weeks of spring-like conditions on the slopes, several inches of snow greeted skiers and boarders Saturday morning as a storm passed through Lake Tahoe.

Heavenly Mountain Resort received 6"-8" of new snow, while Sierra-at-Tahoe and Kirkwood both reported 7" overnight.

The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory which will last until 8 p.m. on Saturday. During the day another 1" to 2" of snow is expected with 2" to 4" at elevations above 7,000 ft.

There is a 40% chance of snow on Monday for up to 2".