TRUCKEE, Calif. – The nonprofit Truckee River Watershed Council (TRWC), alongside staff from the Tahoe National Forest, is launching a new forest health project near Boca Reservoir later this month that will help reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire locally, and protect the drinking water for hundreds of thousands of people living downstream in the Reno-Sparks area.
In total, the project anticipates treating approximately 1,940 acres of US Forest Service lands over the next three years to improve overall forest health. The project will remove ladder and surface fuels and use mechanical thinning to produce a healthy distribution of trees of varying sizes to decrease stand density and improve forest resilience and wildlife habitat. Fireline construction and any necessary trail reconstruction will also be completed.
“Thinning the overstocked forest around Boca Reservoir isn’t just about reducing fire risk in California—it’s also about ensuring that our neighbors downstream in Nevada continue to have access to clean, safe drinking water,” said Eben Swain, project director at TRWC. “The Truckee River provides about 85% of water for homes and businesses in the Reno-Sparks area. As we work to create healthy forests, we’re also creating healthy watersheds and healthy communities.”…