TheTahoeWeekly.com
Undoing a legacy of destruction C O N S E RVA N C Y WO R K S TO R E STO R E U P P E R T RU C K E E M A RS H BY TIM HAUSERMAN
While the once-immense marsh has been reduced in size, the Upper Truckee still creates a ribbon of wetlands through the middle of Tahoe’s biggest urban area.
The Upper Truckee Marsh. | California Tahoe Conservancy
T
ucked between Tahoe Keys and Regan Beach in South Lake Tahoe, sits the Upper Truckee Marsh and its primary water source, the Upper Truckee River, the largest stream flowing into Lake Tahoe The marsh once included more than 1,600 acres of wetland, which was an effective water filter that helped maintain Lake Tahoe’s water clarity by removing nutrients that cause algae growth. But the construction of the human-made Tahoe Keys in the 1950s and 60s destroyed more than 500 acres of that important resource. Now, the California Tahoe Conservancy is in the process of restoring and enhancing 250 acres of the marsh by replacing bare fill dirt with vegetation and by providing the opportunity for more water from the Upper Truckee River to enter the remaining marsh area increasing its filtering capability and enhancing the area for wildlife.
The Upper Truckee River
The Upper Truckee River begins high in the mountains about 23 miles to the south of Lake Tahoe. Those who have hiked the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) have seen its beginning just a few miles north of Carson Pass. There a small pond near a saddle offers the view of Round 14
Top peak and fields of purple iris. Then just a small stream, it drops down to Meiss Meadows, where it gathers more flow from the high snow-covered ridges above it and passes prolific July wildflower displays before becoming a potentially wet crossing of the now combined PCT/Tahoe Rim Trail. The Upper Truckee then drops down swiftly to Christmas Valley on the beginning of its grand tour of the South Lake Tahoe urban region. It crosses Highway 50 before passing the Lake Tahoe Golf Course where it is treated to the sound of people swearing after attempting to hit little white balls. Next stop is the edge of the South Lake Tahoe Airport before crossing Highway 50 again to reach the Upper Truckee Marsh and Lake Tahoe. While the once-immense marsh has been reduced in size, the Upper Truckee still creates a ribbon of wetlands through the middle of Tahoe’s biggest urban area. As a lifelong North Tahoe resident, I hate to admit I really didn’t know much about the river or its close connection to both South Lake Tahoe and the health of Lake Tahoe’s ecosystem. Sure, I’d crossed it many times while avoiding the buzz of skeeters in Meiss Meadows on the Tahoe Rim Trail, but as far as I knew, after that it
disappeared. Once I discovered its true importance while researching this story, I decided to paddle it.
Paddling the Upper Truckee
It was a cloudy and cool morning when we set out to kayak, which was bad news and good news. It was not warm enough to entice a swim, but the temps kept the crowds away, giving us several hours on the river without another paddler in sight. We put in near the end of Venice Road just to the east of the Tahoe Keys Marina. This is also where the half-mile-long trail to Cove East Beach begins. We were less than 1 mile from Lake Tahoe, so we headed upstream for a while. For those with more time, you can make a day of it and paddle all the way to Meyers. Be sure to check the flows to make sure there is the Goldilocks amount of river flow: not too much so it gets dangerous or too low that you regularly ground or need to do some portaging. The river in mid-June was rolling along about 100 cfs, enough to cover the obstacles and allow us to cruise along without getting stuck on sand bars, but certainly not too raging. We crossed over and under several downed trees until we reached a submerged tree that took up a good portion of the river
and made more upstream paddling not our cup of tea. We turned around and gently floated downstream, now with a chance to really enjoy the scenery. Birds were constant companions: osprey, redwinged blackbirds, ibis and an active group of black-winged magpies with their snowy black and white plumage — and, of course, geese, geese, geese. At Tahoe, they are like bears: everywhere. To our downstream right was the pleasant marshy area of pines and willows at the edge of the Upper Truckee Marsh. To the left, signs of civilization could occasionally be seen above the banks, as could a beautiful view of Mount Tallac’s perfectly timed snow cross. While unseen from the river, that western side of the route was also where a major restoration effort was underway. As we neared Lake Tahoe a few small off-shoot bays could be seen with several grade-control structures built to control the flow of water in the marsh. Entering the lake was quite fascinating. There were sand bars dotted with birds, marshy areas between the sand bars, and shoreline and channels into the lake on both the west and east side of the sand bars. Since it is so shallow, I’m sure the view must change dramatically with every rise or fall of the lake’s level. I was enamored with my first opportunity to paddle into Lake Tahoe from a
