Restoration nearing completion, public soon able to access old Tahoe Pines campground

The unique and valuable habitat of the Upper Truckee in Meyers has been preserved through another California Tahoe Conservancy project at the site of the old Tahoe Pines Campground. The project opens public access to the river and will feature a picnic table or two, bike racks and informational kiosk.

Gone are the old buildings, the unsafe and dilapidated bridge, concrete and pipe debris, retaining walls, old campsites, fill dirt, dead and dying trees, pump house and old vegetation.

In their place is a handicap-accessible parking lot and trail, and restored wetland that is home to native cottonwoods, dogwoods and aspen.

The new Tahoe Pines area with eight acres of restored habitat opens in mid-October.

Crews have been working on leveling the old campsites and removing the compacted dirt around them, removing roads that were inside the campground and leaving in their place a new swale that can accommodate the flooding that takes place around the river every one-to-two years. In the area, four creeks come together in the flood plain and now nature is once again able to take care of what happens naturally.

Previously, campground operators had to try and control those flood waters, forcing the river away from campsites.

The Conservancy bought the property in 2007 and old structures were removed right away and the plans and implementation of them began for what the public can soon experience. There are a couple of minor finishing touches that need to be completed before the gate can open.

The parking lot is ready, striping is done, the handicapped access parking space and accessible trail are completed. There are still some irrigation items that will be removed once the added vegetation has taken root. Much of the old vegetation came back on its own.

“The Tahoe Pines property is such a special place, with its confluence of creeks, its groves of cottonwood trees, and its prime location for the Meyers community and visitors to Tahoe,” said El Dorado County Supervisor Sue Novasel, the Conservancy Board Chair, said of the $1.63M spent on restoration. “When this project is complete, community members will gain a whole new way to experience the Upper Truckee River.”

Besides what people can see when they visit there was also extensive forest restoration work in an area with excessive fuels.

"It's been 13 years of ongoing work," said Stuart Roll, program supervisor for the Conservancy's watershed program.

Roll said the new Tahoe Pines encourages good stewardship. Initially the site will be open all of the time but the Conservancy will be monitoring usage and they might consider closing it at night.

A new bridge takes users over the restored Echo Creek to the Upper Truckee River. Kids are invited to take advantage of the rocks lining the river and get in some good old-fashioned rock tossing into the water.

The area doesn't have a large network of trails as Roll and his team left much of the area natural.

Picnic tables created from old trees that were once on the parcel will be added in spring.

The parking lot will be closed in winter but those on snow shoes or cross country skis will still be able to access from other areas. It is very close to the new bike trail so they will be bringing in bike racks to Tahoe Pines.

"I am so excited to open to the public this fall," said Roll.

Tahoe Pines is located at 860 US 50 just north of South Upper Truckee Road.