SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Sunset Stables, south of the Lake Tahoe Airport, was once privately owned and home to riding stables in the summer, and snowmobile riding in the winter (and before that, cattle grazing) over its 189 acres. The California Tahoe Conservancy purchased the sensitive stream zone property along the Upper Truckee River in 1999, and its buildings were removed two years later.

The Conservancy and USDA Forest Service, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) planned restoration work in this area in the early 2000s through 2012. In 2017, the LTBMU completed a restoration project, known as Reach 5, on federal lands and part of the Conservancy’s Sunset Stables property.

Now it’s time for the next project in the area, Reach 6.

The Conservancy restarted the Reach 6 project in 2024. The study area is primarily the former Sunset Stables property, but also includes Conservancy properties in the Meadowvale area south of Elks Club Drive. The project goals are to restore wetlands, improve water quality, enhance aquatic and terrestrial wildlife habitat, and increase resilience to climate change.

The public is invited to learn more as Conservancy staff present concepts, take questions and hear comments:

  • September 8, 2025, at 3:00 p.m.
  • September 10, 202,5 at 6:00 p.m.

Please park along Elks Club Drive and meet at the picnic table by the kiosk next to the river. The event will include a short walk on trails. The trails will be on uneven surfaces and might require stepping over roots, rocks, or logs. Email Scott Carroll, scott.carroll@tahoe.ca.gov with questions or comments.

The Conservancy recognizes that public property in the area is important for public access and recreation. They will close certain areas during project implementation, but will look to maintain as much public access as possible as work is underway.

The Upper Truckee River collects runoff from a third of the land in the Lake Tahoe Basin and supports some of the largest wetlands in the Sierra Nevada. Historical logging, grazing, and urban development have degraded the river. Along with the Conservancy’s Tahoe Pines property in Meyers, the Conservancy and its partners have now protected most of the lower nine miles of the river. As an example, in 2022, the Conservancy completed the Upper Truckee Marsh Restoration Project, which enhanced and restored 250 acres of wetlands where the river meets Lake Tahoe.