posted 2/8/12 by Kathy Whitlow, Operations Manager

The Truckee Donner Public Utility District (TDPUD), Northstar Community Services District (NSCSD) and Placer County Water Agency (PCWA) continue its partnership in developing a groundwater management plan and groundwater model for the Martis Valley basin. Along with several other organizations, Truckee River Watershed Council sits on the Stakeholder Working Group and provides feedback. The plan will be several years in development. Recently, we received a press release from the three agencies announcing a new aspect of the plan. The partnership will gain further technical resources with the addition of a Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) study of climate change impacts to recharge and groundwater quality in the Martis Valley.

Previous studies have indicated that some water in the Martis Valley groundwater basin may be in excess of 1,000 years old. And in the case of groundwater, older seems better as the age of water indicates how fast it is moving, how it is being replenished in the basin, and the outlook for long-term sustainable supplies. The LLNL water aging study will help further the ongoing efforts to determine how the aquifer functions.

The LLNL study is being funded by the State of California Groundwater Ambient Monitoring & Assessment Special Studies Program. The results of the study will supplement and validate the Martis Valley groundwater model being prepared under a separate grant to the Desert Research Institute (DRI) by the Bureau of Reclamation.

Martis GW Basin & Partnership Agencies Service AreasThe local water agencies set out with a goal of developing a groundwater model and plan to ensure the long-term supply of water for their customers. The partner agencies contributed $250,000 to the initial costs, based on their number of connections. This collaborative effort had previously leveraged an additional $500,000 in federal funding from the Bureau of Reclamation and the LLNL study now brings the total project funding to over $1,000,000.

The Martis Valley aquifer includes a 35,000-acre area in both Placer and Nevada counties. It is the main water supply for numerous public and private entities. This area has seen significant growth in the last two decades with more planned for the future. Maintaining an adequate water supply and protecting water quality are critical for the region's future.

Project information may be found at www.martisvalleygmp.org. You may also click here for TRWC's past posting on the groundwater management plan.

by Lisa Wallace, Executive Director

Kathy WhitlowTruckee River Watershed Council is pleased to welcome our newest staff member, Kathy Whitlow.

Kathy joined us on January 25th as the new Operations Manager and will be working 3 days/week at TRWC. She is replacing Nicole Carlsen, who is now working in the Journalism Department at UNR as she continues progress toward her master's degree.  Kathy has a strong background in project management and human resources and will be responsible for maintenance and continued development of the website, facilities and media relations. She had an opportunity to meet many of our donors and community stakeholders at the Martis Watershed Assessment presentation and is coming up to speed on all the wonderful programs at TRWC.

Kathy has lived in Truckee for 5 years with her husband, Glenn, and two children, Ian and Jordan. She enjoys snowboarding, hiking, paddle boarding, volunteering and enjoying the Tahoe lifestyle with her family.

Click here for more information on our staff

by Kathy Whitlow, Operations Manager

Photo: presentation slide Thank you to everyone who attended the Martis Watershed Assessment presentation this past Tuesday. We had an excellent turnout for this event, with over 100 people in attendance!

You've let us know how much you appreciate the work that has been done:

"...it was an awesome evening that I've been looking forward to for a while." ~Jacqui Zink

"Great job last night. Thank you for all your work and effort. What a turn out!" ~Scott Bower

We also love that you've been sharing your memories of Martis Valley with us:

"Last night was fabulous. You are all doing such important work. I remember the Martis in the 50's. Lots and lots of deep, fast running finger-lets coming down from the forested mountains to the south. These little streams spanned out all across the valley floor and were teeming with lovely trout. The valley was full of the glorious sound of cattle, grass hoppers and singing black birds clinging to tender willow branches dancing in the breeze. I return to that valley often in my dreams." ~Stefanie Olivieri

We've been receiving many positive comments from presentation attendees and look forward to sharing more with you in the near future about potential restoration in the Martis Valley Watershed. In the meantime, please click here to view a copy of the presentation.

This presentation serves as a launching point for future restoration work. The actual assessment will be posted on our site by the end of February. As mentioned on Tuesday, this assessment will serve as a living document and will change over time as we plan projects, work with stakeholders and reassess restoration needs in the Martis Watershed.

Thank you to our engaging speakers for the evening: Dave Shaw, Balance Hydrologics, Inc.; Kevin Drake, Integrated Environmental Restoration Services; and TRWC's own Beth Christman. An extra special thank you goes out to our funders: the Bella Vista Foundation, the Martis Fund and Watershed Council donors. This assessment would not have been possible without your generous support.

By Nicole Carlsen, Operations Coordinator

For those of you who missed it, check out the print version of Truckee River Currents. There are photos and descriptions of Truckee River Day, an update on Coldstream Canyon restoration and more.

 Winter Newsltter

Click here to view