Upper Truckee River Marsh restoration update and video

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Work is underway on the Upper Truckee Marsh to restore and enhance over 250 acres floodplain by returning river flows to the center of the marsh. This will enrich native fish and bird habitat and act as a natural pollution filter that will improve water quality before it reaches Lake Tahoe.

This is a California Tahoe Conservancy restoration project and funding for the $11.5M first phase of the project is coming from them, the California Wildlife Conservation Board, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, USDA Forest Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Bureau of Reclamation.

During the project, access to some areas of around the river and Marsh will be blocked off to public access due to safety concerns. Those accessing the Marsh will see many trails open and signage and/or orange fences alerting them about any closures. The more active construction zones will be surrounded by the orange fencing.

If there is no signage in the area you are accessing, enjoy says the Conservancy!

When entering the Marsh at Cove East, despite the restoration construction, the trail to the beach will remain open this whole year. All will be able to access Lake Tahoe throughout this year’s construction season.

The seasonal dog restrictions in the Marsh due to sensitive habitats were lifted on July 31. Dogs are now allowed in the area if on leash.

Even though the annual habitat restrictions are no longer in place, it is always a good time to be mindful of all the wildlife throughout the year around the Marsh.

The Conservancy launched this wetland restoration project in an effort to address some of the past century’s biggest mistakes at Tahoe. To date, the Upper Truckee Marsh Restoration Project is the largest wetland restoration in the history of the Lake Tahoe Basin. See the project overview in the video below.

The Conservancy has a project website with all of the information about the project including maps and updates on public access changes.

At this time crews are working to separate the artificial sailing lagoon from the adjacent marina but installing sheet piles with a crane. This is the first key step in creating the new wetlands in an area reshaped by the 1950s-60s creation of the Tahoe Keys neighborhood. A video of that step can be seen here: