by Andy Otto, Director of Restoration Programs

Spring is in the air and Adopt a Stream water quality monitoring season is just around the corner... Here are the monitoring dates for this year:

• • May 11, 2013 - Snapshot Day*Kerensa Kruse sampling at Pole Creek (photo: Stefan McLeod)
  • June 21-23, 2013 - AAS Water Quality Monitoring
  • July 26-28, 2013 - AAS Water Quality Monitoring
  • Sept. 26-28, 2013 - AAS Water Quality Monitoring

*Snapshot Day: One of the four annual monitoring days is coordinated with a statewide water quality monitoring day called Snapshot Day. Snapshot Day is the one day each year when the water quality of the entire Tahoe-Truckee watershed from Lake Tahoe to Pyramid Lake is measured simultaneously, providing a "snapshot" of the water quality of the region. Join hundreds of regional volunteers on May 11th and help us take a snapshot of the water quality for the entire Tahoe-Truckee watershed to kick off our monitoring season. Registration is required for Snapshot Day and is now open at SnapshotDay.org (click on "Register Here").

Following Snapshot Day, volunteer teams continuously monitor upwards of 21 streams an additional 3 times during the season. We monitor for temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, and turbidity. All of our monitors are Watershed Council volunteers and have been trained; they are always willing and able to help train new team members. The monitoring can be done any time the team chooses over the three day time periods listed above and takes about two hours. Please contact Andy Otto at the Watershed Council at (530) 550-8760 x 3 or at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for questions and to sign up. There are still streams available we'd like to monitor that have not yet been adopted by a monitoring team – come join us!

All of us at TRWC would like to extend a huge THANK YOU to all of our past and present monitoring volunteers. We've placed the most recent monitoring report on our website. This is the fruit of all of your labors... we simply can't thank you enough for all of your hard work!

by Kathy Whitlow, Operations Manager

4/16/13 Update for Prospective Bidders:

Please see Addendum No. 1 (dated 4/16/13) to the original Negro Canyon Restoration Design Request for Proposals dated 4/2/13. This addendum revises section 3.3 Project Cost.

The Truckee River Watershed Council seeks to hire a consultant to complete a restoration design plan for several sites within Negro Canyon, a tributary to Donner Lake in the Truckee River watershed. The goals of the project are to reduce erosion, improve water quality, and restore native riparian and upland habitat.

The Negro Canyon watershed has experienced significant impacts through past land use including intense logging, fire, and construction of Interstate 80. These impacts have led to the development of a poorly constructed road network that has disrupted natural drainage patterns and is causing significant erosion. Restoration work will primarily consist of restoring abandoned road alignments, revegetating areas with native plants, restoring eroded stream channels, and re-establishing natural drainage patterns. Significant habitat and water quality improvements are expected to result from project implementation.

Please see the Negro Canyon Restoration Design Request for Proposals dated April 2, 2013 for more information. Proposals due to TRWC by April 23rd. For more information, please This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or at (530) 550-8760 ext. 1.

by Erin Casey, Green Bucks Program Manager

Local Businesses Are Taking Care of Their Own Backyard!

Area businesses have joined with the Truckee River Watershed Council and the Tahoe Fund to help launch the new Green Bucks program. Green Bucks is a dollar donation program designed to harness the passion of visitors and residents in order to help care for the region's extraordinary environment. Businesses including Squaw Valley, Alpine, the Resort at Squaw Creek, PlumpJack, Truckee Properties and Tahoe Mountain Properties have committed to collecting dollar donations on room nights, season passes, lift tickets, golf rounds and other items to help improve the area's natural environment.

Green Bucks training at PlumpJackProceeds from Green Bucks support the Tahoe Fund, the Truckee River Watershed Council and other public and nonprofit organizations in the region. These organizations fund projects that will improve, enhance and restore watersheds, hiking and biking trails, and environmental stewardship programs.

"The organizations receiving the proceeds from the Green Bucks program are outstanding and impactful organizations, and the funds from this program will go directly to help preserve and restore the rivers, lakes and meadows in the region," said Andy Wirth, president and CEO of Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows. "It's our hope that our company's broad participation compels and induces other companies in the region to support the Tahoe Fund and the Truckee River Watershed Council through this new program."

Green Bucks is a win-win for residents and visitors by creating a simple way for those who love the Lake Tahoe/Truckee area to help make it even better. With the support of visitors, residents and local business, Green Bucks will help raise money to restore and improve the environment and enhance recreational opportunities, ultimately helping to drive even more tourism and business to the local economy. Participation in the Green Bucks program also provides a unique opportunity for local businesses to establish themselves as leaders in environmental stewardship AND share their efforts with guests, employees and the surrounding community. As a participant businesses will receive the following:

• Feature in public relations campaign and website
• Promotional materials to share with guests
• Staff training on the program
• Invitation to our Green Bucks Annual Meeting
• Reports on Green Bucks program outcomes

Similar "buck" programs are operating in places like Jackson Hole, Yosemite and regions like our own with exciting results. These programs have raised millions of dollars to support local initiatives. Local businesses can call Erin Casey, Green Bucks Program Manager at (530) 550-8760 ext. 7 for more information or to sign up to participate in the Green Bucks program.

by Kathy Whitlow, Operations Manager

Are you a Truckee-area landscaper? ... a landscape designer? ... in the nursery business? ... part of a maintenance crew working in the watershed?

If so, this Lunch & Learn is for you! Join the Truckee River Watershed Council Friday, April 19th for a River-Friendly Landscaping and Weed Warriors Lunch & Learn to learn more about TRWC's River-Friendly Landscaping and Weed Warriors programs. Stay for the added Weed Identification Workshop immediately following the Lunch & Learn session.

What's in it for you?

• Free lunch for Lunch & Learn attendees! But that's not the most important reason...
• River-Friendly Landscaping improves water quality by assisting residential property owners in voluntarily reducing or preventing soil erosion. You'll learn how you and your clients can help the Truckee River watershed through implementation of River-Friendly Landscaping measures (BMP's).
• You'll receive weed identification materials and learn more about our Weed Warriors program and how we educate people and work in the watershed to identify, report and manage the spread of invasive weeds.
• You'll learn more about the Truckee River Watershed Council and our programs so you (and your clients!) can help protect, enhance and restore the Truckee River watershed that we all know and enjoy.

When and Where?

Friday, April 19, 2013

Cedar House Sport Hotel, 10918 Brockway Road, Truckee

12:00 – 1:30 River-Friendly Landscaping/Weed Warriors Lunch & Learn

1:30 – 3:30 Optional Weed Warriors Weed Identification Workshop

Come to the Lunch & Learn and/or the Weed Identification Workshop after lunch. Click here to view the flyer for this event.

RSVP by April 5th:

Space is limited; please register to attend one or both portions of this event by April 5th to Kathy Whitlow at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 530.550.8760.

Funding for Weed Warriors, sponsored by Truckee River Watershed Council, has been provided by the Martis Fund.

Funding for River-Friendly Landscaping has been provided full or in part through an agreement with the State Water Resources Control Board and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the Federal Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Program (Clean Water Act Section 319).