The Land Trust, in partnership with The Nature Conservancy, completed the acquisition of 3,200 acres in the Truckee River Canyon, from Floriston to Stateline, including 100 acres of river frontage in conservation easement in late 2006. The Land Trust completed acquisitions of over 1,350 acres of riparian corridor within Gray Creek Canyon, a major tributary to the Truckee River, in 2005.
This project, supported by The Nature Conservancy and the Truckee River Watershed Council and endorsed by environmental organizations including the Sierra Club, is a top conservation priority because of the area's outstanding biological value and the threat those resources face with the pace of growth in California and Nevada.
The Truckee River is home to several species of wildlife including the endangered Lahontan cutthroat trout, as well as riparian-dependent nesting birds such as the Yellow warbler and Yellow billed cuckoo. The river also provides habitat for native and declining amphibians including the Mountain yellow-legged frog and the Leopard frog.
The acquisitions will also provide improved public access to recreational opportunities such as hiking and horseback riding in the river's surrounding canyons. Rebuilding the long-established trail into the Mt. Rose Wilderness Area that was washed out in the 1997 floods would provide an integrated linkage to the Tahoe Rim Trail as well as planned trails in the Truckee River Corridor. The sections acquired along Truckee River boast some of the best flyfishing in the Truckee/Tahoe region.
Gray Creek
The Truckee Donner Land Trust has completed acquisitions in the Gray Creek drainage, an extremely rugged and remote area along the northwest boundary of the Mt. Rose Wilderness Area. The vast majority of the land in this drainage was already in public hands thanks to the efforts of the American Land Conservancy in the 1970s and 1980s. The project provides contiguous public ownership in the area, improving fire management and restoration. The project has added over 1,300 acres of dramatic and sensitive wild lands to public ownership.
Dropping close to 4,000 feet in less than seven miles, Gray Creek is one of the most dramatic drainages in the I-80 corridor viewshed. Because Nevada County has no designated wilderness areas, this project presents a rare opportunity to protect properties which are extremely rugged and picturesque, and to secure a natural buffer to the California wild lands adjacent to the Mt. Rose Wilderness Area.
Studies indicate that the erosion-prone, steep drainage in Gray Creek has soils that are extremely sensitive and naturally unstable, and that the area is one of the largest sediment producing drainages in the entire Truckee River system. Protecting the Gray Creek watershed from future development and commercial logging pressure will help lessen erosion and keep the water clean. Inquiries regarding long-term management plans for the area can be made to Sara Taddo, Land Conservation Director, at (530) 582-4711.
