California Tahoe Conservancy Acquires New Land for Habitat Protection

Protecting the Tahoe Basin has been a topic of hot discussion since pioneers began mining and logging in the area, and the increased traffic that Tahoe sees per year has been expediting the process of breaking down natural habitats.

The California Tahoe Conservancy recently acquired 31 acres of land off of Highway 50 in South Lake Tahoe to preserve mostly delicate wetlands and meadows. It will connect Johnson Meadow to the Upper Truckee Marsh by public lands.

The acquisition came about through a partnership of the California Tahoe Conservancy, California Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB), Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA), California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), Tahoe Fund, and League to Save Lake Tahoe.

“This environmental acquisition may be the most important in a generation to protect Lake Tahoe,” said California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot.

“By reconnecting the most important wetland that filters water flowing into the Lake, this investment protects the Lake’s precious water quality and also provides an important corridor for local wildlife. This project demonstrates the great value of the California Tahoe Conservancy, to work diligently over years—sometimes decades—to see important environmental improvements to fruition.”

Part of the acquisition of this land includes the long standing Motel 6 and an old vacant restaurant that brings down one of the last privately held sections of the Upper Truckee River, both of which will be demolished.

Members of the Reddit Tahoe community don’t seem to be sad to see these buildings go.

California Tahoe Conservancy to acquire 31 acres along Hwy. 50 – Motel 6 to be razed
by u/SFChronicle in tahoe

The full details of the land, courtesy of California Tahoe Conservancy , are:

• 25 acres of mountain meadow and wetlands.
• 4 acres of former floodplain.
• One-third of the Lake Tahoe Basin drains into the Upper Truckee River.
• 96 percent of the lower section of the Upper Truckee River is in public ownership after this purchase.
• 6 funding sources including nonprofit donations and permit mitigation fees.
• Connects hundreds of acres of public marsh and meadow lands.

“The Conservancy will remove the 1970s-era motel and vacant restaurant and retire or transfer the property’s development rights and coverage for future use on town center redevelopment. The Conservancy will preserve the surrounding mountain meadow and wetlands,” said California Tahoe Conservancy.

The acquisition also gained approval form the Washoe Tribe Chairman, Serrell Smokey, whose ancestors are the original overseers of this land.

“The Conservancy has been a great partner and their work to protect, preserve, and re-establish healthy ecosystems within the Tahoe Basin should be celebrated. Addressing decades of overdevelopment in very delicate and fragile ecosystems, such the Upper Truckee, is not something that happens overnight,” said Smokey.

While the organizations view this acquisition as a win, they recognize that there is still work to do to see changes in the ecosystem, wildlife, water clarity, and public access.

This area has been, and will continue to be, one of the highest priorities of the conservation groups to restore and rehabilitate baseline ecological processes in the Tahoe Basin.

“Since 2010, we’ve helped restore the Upper Truckee Marsh and river corridor with volunteering, science, and now funding. Revitalizing this key natural pollution filter has been our priority for over a decade because it keeps Tahoe blue, swimmable, and enjoyable for all,” said CEO of Keep Tahoe Blue, Dr. Darcie Goodman Collins.