More than 100 people took part in Fall 2024 Tahoe Forest Stewardship Day
STATELINE, Nev., October 2, 2024 – Meadows, marshes, and wetlands are Lake Tahoe’s natural filtration system – so long as they’re healthy. They slow down flowing water, causing clarity-degrading particles to settle out before they reach the Lake, which keeps Tahoe’s waters clear and pure. Since 1997, annual Tahoe Forest Stewardship Days events hosted by the League to Save Lake Tahoe (League) have invited the community to take part in restoring this natural filtration system. The League recently celebrated 27 years of hands-on, land-healing work by restoring Rabe Meadow and Burke Creek in Stateline, Nevada alongside 93 volunteers and 14 people from partner organizations the Nevada Tahoe Conservation District (NTCD) and USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (USFS).
“We’re always excited when we get to partner with the League and its volunteers on our restoration projects. Their love for Lake Tahoe truly shows through in their hard work, and Saturday at Rabe Meadow was no exception,” noted NTCD Hydrologist and Staff Engineer Patrick Johnson. “The volunteers planted wetland vegetation, willow, and 500 aspen trees – this work will have a positive impact on the meadow’s ecosystem for years to come. We will all be able to watch as these trees and plants grow, providing food and habitat for animals while also improving the meadow’s ability to filter out pollutants that threaten Lake Tahoe’s clarity.”
In addition to planting native plants along Burke Creek, volunteer teams tackled other hands-on projects, including stabilizing stream banks with willow bundles to prevent erosion, decommissioning social trails to protect sensitive habitats, and building beaver dam analogs that slow and spread flowing water across the landscape to revitalize the meadow ecosystem. In total, the group restored 120,000 square feet of meadow and creek.
After a few hours of hard work under a blue Sierra sky, volunteers looked over the changes they made to the landscape. Yet, the greater benefit will be seen in the years to come.
“The work you did here today may not seem like much, but it makes a huge difference in keeping Tahoe blue,” said League to Save Lake Tahoe Board Member Jason Martinez as he addressed the volunteers over a post-event lunch. “In ten years, you can come back here and see a healthier meadow and creek, and a bluer Lake because of your efforts. We thank you, and Tahoe thanks you.”
The recent volunteer event contributed to the larger Burke Creek Restoration Project being jointly conducted by NTCD and USFS. Tahoe Forest Stewardship Days, hosted in spring and fall annually, link with ongoing restoration projects to accelerate land managers’ progress. Learn more about Tahoe Forest Stewardship Days and the importance of marsh, meadow, creek, and wetland restoration at keeptahoeblue.org/tfsd.
The event was made possible through the generosity of community partners, including Barton Health, Tahoe Beach Club, Maui Brewing Co., Ernie’s Coffee Shop, BioSpirit Spa, and mountainFLOW Eco-Wax who provided lunch, snacks, refreshments, parking, and raffle prizes.
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Media Resources: Photos and videos
Media Contact:
Chris Joseph, Communications Director, League to Save Lake Tahoe
cjoseph@keeptahoeblue.org, 530.541.5388 ext.206
The League to Save Lake Tahoe is the donor-funded, science-based organization of environmental experts and Tahoe-lovers behind Keep Tahoe Blue. We have led the protection and restoration of the Lake Tahoe Basin since 1957 and remain the one organization who brings everyone together for the same goal – to protect Tahoe for future generations. Learn more, donate, and get involved at keeptahoeblue.org.