The Problem

Channel straightening, grazing, logging and recreational uses have impacted this reach of the river, leading to accelerated levels of bed and bank erosion and habitat degradation. 

The stream has been straightened leading to a decrease in sinuosity and steeping of slope resulting in increased erosive force.  The channel has down-cut relative to its floodplain, leaving the old floodplain to become a terrace that is only flooded in less frequent events, and head-cutting continues.

Since the floodwaters do not release onto a floodplain, the depth of water in the channel is deeper, high stress is exerted on the bed and banks, and chronic erosion results. Meadow and flood-plain function is disrupted, and the system has lost its natural mechanism for removing fine sediment. In-stream and riparian corridor habitat are degraded.

The layout of the golf course also contributes to problems.  The golf course was constructed on the meadow floodplain in the late 1950s. Several undersized bridges constrict flow and accelerate velocities leading to erosion downstream.

The golf course occupies the former meander belt and wet meadow area along the river. These would have been important habitat areas.

Also in many areas, some fairways and holes of the golf course are located adjacent to the river, with no riparian buffer zone or habitat corridor.

Rapidly eroding, tall fine-grained banks that do not support vegetation or riparian habitat characterize this reach. The banks generate sediment that is introduced directly to the river and into Lake Tahoe .  This situation causes not only damage to the golf course facilities, but also deterioration of riparian habitat and degradation of water quality.  There is also no riparian buffer zone to separate the areas where fertilizer is applied to turf from the river or provide a habitat corridor.

The recent study by Andrew Simon of the National Sedimentation Laboratory (commissioned by the California Water Quality Control Board (WQCB) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) states:

"The Upper Truckee River is the greatest contributor of suspended and fine-grained sediment in the Lake Tahoe Basin " and "sediment delivery from the Upper Truckee River could be significantly reduced by controlling stream bank erosion in the reaches adjacent to the golf course and downstream from the airport."

The golf course reach was also identified as the greatest opportunity for rehabilitation in the study by Swanson Hydrology and Geomorphology (SH&G ).