Conservancy approves City's purchase of Bijou Park Creek watershed lot

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The California Tahoe Conservancy (CTC) Board has approved the City of South Lake Tahoe's proposal to purchase an ecologically important parcel on Rockwood Drive as part of its broader plans to restore the Bijou Park Creek watershed.

Restoration of the watershed, which extends from Heavenly Mountain Resort to Lake Tahoe at the Ski Run Marina, has been planned for years with the demolition of the Knight's Inn, the creation of the Whole Foods project area, purchasing of sensitive parcels along the creek and eventual daylighting of the underground areas of the creek.

As settlement occurred in the watershed, much of the stream environment

zone (SEZ) was lost to development, and opportunities to restore SEZ and improve
water quality are currently limited. Residential development, along with filling and paving of the SEZ, has significantly affected the natural flow and function of the creek. The floodplain has lost its ability to provide natural filtration and attenuation of flood flows, resulting in significant water quality impacts and flooding.

In March 2016, the City applied for a total of $4,156,091 in Proposition 1 funding to acquire and restore ten parcels in the Watershed. The Proposition 1 External Review Team ranked the City’s acquisition proposal highly, but there was not enough funding available for all of the parcels.

In September 2017, the CTC Board authorized a grant of $572,250 to the City to acquire one priority property on Woodbine Road. In April 2018, the Board authorized a grant augmentation of $793,991 in Proposition 1 and Proposition 50 funds to acquire and restore two additional properties, one on Bill Avenue and another on Shirley Avenue.

Since that time the owner of the Shirley Avenue property decided they no longer wanted to sell.

Another property was identified on Rockwood Avenue that would also help the restoration of the watershed and the CTC Board has authorized its acquisition by the City. It lies within the historical alignment of Bijou Park Creek, and a portion of the Watershed that once functioned as valuable meadow and riparian habitat. The parcel was part of the original Proposition 1 grant application submitted by the City in March 2016.

The City will use a portion of previously awarded Conservancy funds to restore valuable meadow and streamside habitat along the historical alignment of Bijou Park Creek.

The CTC grants to the City for the three properties is broken down as follows:

Property Acquisition $1,101,103
Relocation Costs $78,250
Closing Costs $6,000
Demolition $105,000
Restoration $6,000
Contingency $69,888
TOTAL - $1,366,241

The City has until January 2020 to complete the restoration of the Rockwood Avenue lot.