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With the devastating fires currently burning in California it brings to the forefront emergency preparedness.

September happens to be National Preparedness Month and El Dorado County's Public Health Preparedness and Response reminds residents to make an emergency communications plan for themselves and their families. Planning ahead will help protect families, neighborhoods and communities when emergencies and disasters arise.

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.

Got your fingers crossed for a wet, white winter ahead?

The chances have just improved even more. Updated federal government forecasts Thursday raised the likelihood to near certainty for an El Nino event noted for bringing stormy winters in the past as witnessed in the historically strong El Nino winters of 1982-83 and 1997-98.

Always a fun event, the South Lake Tahoe Moose Lodge is hosting the 14th annual Kid’s Fishing Derby on Sunday, September 13, 2015 at Tahoe Paradise’s Lake Baron. The Derby is FREE to all children under the age of 16.

Registration begins at 7:00 a.m. at Lake Baron, near the main entrance. Hot dogs, chips, sodas, and water are provided FREE to all registered children. The event wraps up at 1:00 p.m.

WINERY/BREWERY/DISTILLERY: Andis Wine | Auriga Wine Cellars | Bella Grace Vineyards | Boeger Winery | Cold Water Brewery & Grill | Crystal Basin Cellars | Dry Diggings Distillery | FOLK Brewing Company - Kombucha on Tap | Great Basin Brewing Co. | Lava Cap Winery | Loomis Basin Brewing Co. | Madrona Vineyards | Nello Olivo Wines | Sierra Nevada Brewing Company | Stateline Brewery | Story Winery | Sugar Lille | Tahoe Blue Vodka | Tahoe Moonshine Distillery | Vino Noceto

Winds the are continuing to move smoke from the 85,894 acre Rough Fire burning outside of Fresno, CA into the Lake Tahoe Basin this weekend.

There are 1,967 personnel currently assigned to the fire and containment has now been increased to 31%. It is burning in the mountains between Fresno and Independence, CA.

The Tahoe Metropolitan Planning Organization (TMPO) and its partners continue their lunchtime forum for learning and sharing ideas that strengthen our Tahoe communities. Topics will focus on transportation, environmental, and economic ideas that are pertinent to issues we face today at Lake Tahoe.

Wednesday, September 16th - Me and My Bike – Fun and Safe Ways for Kids to Get on their Bikes in South Lake Tahoe
Time: Noon - 1:30 p.m.
***Location: Pavilion at Bijou Park, South Lake Tahoe, CA (off of Al Tahoe Blvd)

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.

Join the League to Save Lake Tahoe for a day of planting, weed pulling, and other restoration activities to preserve and protect Lake Tahoe's watershed during the
18th annual Tahoe Forest Stewardship Day on September 12 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

This year they will be taking care of the Upper Truckee River. All volunteers need to meet at the corner of Barbara Ave. and Lodi Ave in South Lake Tahoe for a shuttle ride to restoration site.

Bring your reusable water bottle, wear clothes that are comfortable that you can get dirty in, and bring your friends.

Location

Wildfire and invasive species weren't the only topics of this year's Tahoe Summit. With the theme "Connecting Lake Tahoe’s Environment and Economy Through Innovation and Transportation,” speakers at Monday's event also talked of the importance of improved roadways and access for alternative modes of transportation that will support the anticipated increase in numbers of visitors to Lake Tahoe.

Join Tahoe Chamber and its ambassadors at the Members Meet Up Lunch, an intimate networking session exclusive to chamber members. This monthly event offers members the opportunity to introduce themselves and their businesses to a dynamic group of professionals.

Each month Tahoe Chamber will choose a local restaurant to host these networking events. This month's location will be Cold Water Brewery and Grill!

RSVP as soon as possible, as these events are capped at 25 people.

$15 for Members
$30 for Non-Members
Please RSVP in advance to attend!

Location

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.

The vendor pairings for the 6th Annual Sample the Sierra have been announced. Approximately 54 local restaurants, wineries, breweries, distilleries, farmers and producers will participate in the one-day farm-to-fork festival on Sunday, September 6 at Bijou Community Park in South Lake Tahoe, CA.

The pairings for this year’s Sample the Sierra are as follows:

· Beach Hut Deli with Loomis Basin Brewing Co.
· Bear Moon Bar & Grill with Auriga Wine Cellars
· Blue Angel Café with Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
· Boathouse on the Pier with Andis Wines

A garter snake skimmed the surface of what little water remained in Seneca Pond. Birds were flying about as the trees were falling down, and grasses and plants were being pulled out and stored.

This was the scene of the U.S. Forest Service's project to return Seneca Pond to a wetland.

Decisions made in Congress over the next few months may well determine the extent to which Lake Tahoe remains blue and clear, with healthy forests, resilient watersheds, and its ecology protected from the threat of new aquatic invasive species.

For two decades, the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program (EIP) has provided guidance for the shared investments made by our federal, state and local governments, homeowners, and businesses to restore and protect Tahoe’s unique environmental qualities and enhance its diverse public recreation opportunities.

"Although he was off duty, Deputy Carlos Francies died doing what he was sworn to do: putting himself in harm's way to protect the life of another." Those were the words of Robin Bender as she spoke to the crowd gathered at El Dorado Beach and Lakeview Commons to remember Francies who drowned in Lake Tahoe on August 13.

Bender, the CFO of South Tahoe Stand Up Paddle, along with owner Chris Brackett, spoke, and Sammantha Bender sang as people with their paddle boards headed off shore to have a paddle-out, the surfing tradition that honors the life of a fallen comrade.

The man who gained national attention when he went missing from his paddle board in South Lake Tahoe has turned up in Missouri.

South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) investigators had been working on the case since he disappeared on Wednesday, not knowing if he were dead or alive. The floating paddleboard with GoPro camera was found floating about 1/2 mile off shore by the Timber Cove Marina.

The Tahoe Transportation District recently appointed Russ Nygaard as transportation capital program manager to oversee the planning, design and execution of the agency's capital projects.

With 26 years engineering experience in transportation and bridge projects, Nygaard will perform project management duties and assist with funding procurement and budget maintenance while ensuring all federal requirements are met and executed on schedule.

More than 10,000 acres of scenic meadows, forests and trout streams in the Sierra Nevada 10 miles west of Lake Tahoe have been preserved in a deal in which environmentalists hope to prove that thinning out overgrown forests can increase California's water supply.

The Northern Sierra Partnership, an environmental group based in Palo Alto and founded by longtime Silicon Valley leaders Jim and Becky Morgan, joined with the Nature Conservancy and the American River Conservancy to buy the land for $10.1 million from Simorg West Forests, a timber company based in Atlanta.

8 p.m. update 8/18/15:

The Walker Fire has now burned 3,715 acres and is now 35% contained. It has been determined that the fire is human caused and is under investigation.

There are 484 firefighters working on the fire along with 4 helicopters, 2 Air tankers, 34 Engines, 10 Crews, 6 Water Tenders, and 4 Dozers.

235 structures remain threatened but none have burned so far.

Scientists have found a way to put some of the 51,000 pounds of harvested fish to good use at the same time they are ridding Lake Tahoe of invasive species.

In the first three years of a cooperative pilot program between the University of Nevada Reno and California Fish and Wildlife, unwanted fish have been donated to needy families.

The underwater scenes could be straight out of "Creature of the Black Lagoon." Long feathery tendrils of green plants, growing at alarming rates in the Tahoe Keys and attracting fish not before known in the crystal blue waters of the lake.

The plant described here is better known as the Eurasian Watermilfoil. It is joined by another nuisance non-native plant, the curlyleaf pondweed, in creating problems in the waters of the Tahoe Keys.

When Governor Jerry Brown told the residents of the state to cut back their water usage, he had the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) tell each region how much to cut back. That benchmark in South Lake Tahoe was 20%.

For the past three months, residents have cut much more than that. In May, water use at South Tahoe Public Utility District (STPUD) was down 34%, followed by 24% in June and 27% in July. This is on top of the 27% reduction in water use that the district's customer have accomplished since 2007.

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.