Lake Tahoe Environmental Stakeholders Tour Homewood to Explore TMDL Effectiveness

On November 2nd, 2011, IERS and Homewood Mountain Resort hosted people from the Tahoe Resource Conservation District, Environmental Protection Agency, Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, El Dorado County, Placer County, Environmental Incentives, JMA/Homewood, Nevada Tahoe Conservation District, UC Davis, California Tahoe Conservancy, and Tahoe Transportation District at Homewood Mountain Resort to explore Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) implementation processes at different restoration sites around the mountain.

We at IERS along with Tahoe RCD, UC Davis, Homewood Mountain Resort and our technical group have been engaged in a three year study to address some key questions related to watershed improvement and TMDL implementation.

The purpose of the field tour was to share field implementation and monitoring techniques that address TMDL Forest Upland issues with Tahoe Basin regional stakeholders. We visited three soil restoration and monitoring sites, and demonstrated key findings regarding TMDL sediment reduction and how it applies for multiple agencies/entities.

Some questions that were asked included, how can highly functional source control (soil restoration) treatments help us meet our TMDL and other water quality related goals in the Tahoe Basin? How will we know if it is working? 

Participants engage in restoration techniques tested by the rainfall simulator.

A robust dialogue ensued among participants on implications for the Lake Tahoe TMDL.We discussed effective and useful water quality monitoring protocols, cost-effectiveness of a range of treatment types, watershed erosion assessment, modeling and monitoring (differences, connections, integration), and the options for 'knowing' if our efforts are working.These processes are intended to be refined into the most useful product for Basin-wide use (and beyond).

These conversations are crucial to effective TMDL implementation and we thank all those who participated.

A "before" restoration photo indicates what the area looked like prior to its current state (after treatment). 

Graphs indicating sediment loading into the watershed pre and post restoration treatment. 

Kokanee Salmon Return to Lake Forest Creek after IERS Restoration

In early October, a small run of Kokanee salmon were spotted spawning in the lower section of Lake Forest Creek. The return of the salmon is a healthy indicator of improved water quality, soil erosion control, and improved riparian habitat in an area that was once diverted into a culvert in anticipation of a construction project that never happened. This fall run marked the first time these fish have been seen in the Lake Forest Creek in decades.

From 2008-2010, IERS, in conjunction with Wood Rodgers and Mainstream Restoration, restored the stream channel close to how it existed prior to modification in the 1960s, by assessing existing and historic drainage patterns and identifying historic floodplain elevations.

Within this project, IERS developed construction specifications for soil and revegetation treatments for upland, meadow and floodplain areas, sod harvesting and replacement, and a temporary irrigation system. IERS and other members of the design team were contracted by Placer County to provide active oversight during the construction period. 

Prior to restoration, the meadow was dry with minimal vegetation; after restoration, water flows throughout the meadow in its original flowpaths and is now home to a small Kokanee salmon run.

Lower channel before restoration.

 New channel and meadow two months after sod replacement.

This successful project has been nominated for a Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Best in the Basin award. 

IERS partners with Local Fire Departments to test Defensible Space Treatments

Last week at Homewood Mountain resort, IERS collaborated with the North Tahoe and Meeks Bay Fire Departments to see how different ground cover treatments burned (or did not burn) for defensible space purposes. The Defensible Space-Erosion Protection Tools Development project tested the effectiveness of a variety of treatments, such as wood chips, composted wood chips, coarse overs, pine needles, duff and landscape bark nuggets.

Lighting the burn test plot. 

This project is grant funded through the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act. It aims to test the effectiveness of treatments to prevent both erosion and fire risk, two of the top land management objectives in the Tahoe Basin--defensible space and erosion protection. 

Testing fan speed.

Ultimately, we were surprised and intrigued at how some treatments burned or didn't burn, and are excited to analyze the results and produce a public document indicating the best possible low fire risk treatments for Tahoe Basin residents/homeowners.  


A big thank you to Homewood Mountain Resort and the Meeks Bay and North Tahoe Fire Protection Districts for doing an outstanding job on site, and making this project possible! 

Testing for relative humidity, wind speed and air temperature. 

What has IERS been doing all summer?

This summer has flown by with a myriad of projects, field research and exciting new opportunities filling our long, sunny days. We cannot believe it is almost October! A few months ago, IERS gained new co-workers, new job sites and new learning experiences that crafted an invaluable summer of ecological restoration and development.

Below is a photo summary that barely scrapes the surface of we have been up to the last couple of months. Our work has ranged from rainfall simulation monitoring at Heavenly Mountain Resort to test plot construction at the Lee Vining Airport to Martis Valley watershed assessment to ecological restoration at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Club in Truckee, CA, among other projects. 

Invasive species removal and test plot construction at the Olympia Quarry, Santa Cruz, CA. 

Restoration at Brockway Summit slopes on 267. 

Restoration at the Ritz-Carlton Club at the Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort. 

Rainfall simulation monitoring at Homewood Mountain Resort.

Watershed Assessment at Waddle Ranch, Truckee, CA.

Test plot construction at the Lee Vining Airport, Mono Lake, CA.

Rainfall simulation monitoring at Heavenly Resort.

IERS attends the 15th Annual Lake Tahoe Summit

On Tuesday, August 16, 2011, IERS attended the 15^th Annual Lake Tahoe Summit at Homewood Mountain Resort.

IERS' Rainfall Simulator in action

As a collaborative effort with Homewood Mountain Resort and the 2011 Lake Tahoe Summit, IERS demonstrated real time rainfall simulation on one of our 24 test plots* just above the Summit general seating area. Our interactive display featured the rainfall simulator, as well as data literature and a display board entailing IERS’ continued work towards lowering sediment yield in the Homewood watershed. 

During the Summit presentation, both governors and all four senators from California and Nevada sat together on the same stage to discuss Lake Tahoe’s present and future environmental state.

Senator Feinstein addresses the audience at the 2011 Lake Tahoe Summit

The Summit aimed to assess Lake Tahoe environmental progress from the last decade and create a strategic plan for the next 10 years to preserve and restore the lake’s iconic clarity first and foremost. 

The theme of the event was “Stewardship and Sustainability in Challenging Fiscal Times.” During the presentation, Governor Brown and Governor Sandoval signed an agreement to restore lake clarity to a depth of 100 feet within 65 years.

The free public event featured multiple booths from event sponsors such as, The Washoe Tribe, The Tahoe Fund, Homewood Mountain Resort, Tahoe City Public Utility District, Truckee North Tahoe Transportation Management Association, South Shore Transportation Management Association, Sustainable Community Advocates, Heavenly Mountain Resort, The League to Save Lake Tahoe and the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association.

All in all, we were delighted to attend the 2011 Lake Tahoe Summit and simultaneously display our ongoing water quality and rainfall monitoring efforts at Homewood! 


*IERS received funding through the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act to conduct water quality monitoring on all 24 test plots at Homewood. IERS is also actively involved in the Homewood TMDL Implementation Plan to reduce the Total Maximum Daily Load for Lake Tahoe and to help manage the Homewood watershed.  

IERS, Weed Warriors, and CNPS at Tahoe City Clean-up Day!

On a rainy Saturday in early June, an enthusiastic group of dedicated weed-pullers showed up to help eliminate some of the troublesome weed species in Tahoe City at beautiful Common's Beach. 

This weed clean up was organized by two of IERS's staff, with lots of help from the California Native Plant Society and the Weed Warriors. Thank you to everyone for all of the amazing help pulling weeds!

Organizers and volunteers

Look at all those weeds!

Thank you Tahoe City Downtown Association for all your help!

Weed pullers in action

Get those weeds outta here!

The main culprits at Commons Beach were bull thistle and woolly mullein.  Luckily, we got most of them while they were small!  Keep your eyes out for more of these at the beach.