Johnson Meadow Acquisition, Upper Truckee River

(Cover Photo: Johnson Meadow; © Tahoe Resource Conservation District, all rights reserved)

In 2018, the Tahoe Resource Conservation District (Tahoe RCD) purchased the 206-acre Johnson Meadow parcel for $8.315 million in order to preserve and manage the site. This purchase was made possible by a partnership between Tahoe RCD (with support from CDFW), the California Tahoe Conservancy, the Tahoe Fund, and the former property owners. Plans to restore Johnson Meadow are part of a regional effort along the lower nine miles of the Upper Truckee Watershed aimed at protecting wildlife habitat, particularly river, riparian, and montane meadow areas.

• Project Proponent: Tahoe Resource Conservation District
• Project Partners: California Tahoe Conservancy (provided $4,234,000), Tahoe Fund (provided $100,000), and the former property owners
• Focus Habitat/Species: Mountain meadow, riparian, aquatic, and upland habitat
• CDFW Grant Support: Acquisition: $4,000,000 (of total $8.315 million purchase price)
• Location: El Dorado County
• Scale: 206 acres, including 146 acres of wet montane habitat and 22+ acres of willow riparian habitat along 1.8 miles the Upper Truckee River
• Timing: Acquired in April 2018
• Funding Source: Proposition 1
• Priority: Protect and Restore Mountain Meadow Ecosystems

The Lake Tahoe Basin is a national priority for conservation due to its abundant natural resources and because Lake Tahoe’s clear water is highly sensitive to water quality impacts. The Upper Truckee River flows into the south end of Lake Tahoe and forms the largest watershed in the Tahoe Basin. The Upper Truckee River watershed historically contained large areas of wet montane meadows and floodplain habitat, which provide important habitat and movement corridors for fish and wildlife. Wet meadows in the area naturally filter sediment from water, helping Lake Tahoe to remain clear and blue.

Past disturbances in the watershed continue to cause a threat to Lake Tahoe. Human activities cause nutrients and sediment to flow into the lake, which reduces its clarity and blueness.  As the largest watershed that flows into Lake Tahoe, the Upper Truckee River is also the largest contributor of sediment and nutrients into Lake Tahoe.  Restoration works to address the effects of these disturbances.

Since the 1980s, environmental agencies have been purchasing land in the Upper Truckee Watershed to protect the area from development. This interagency effort has focused on the lower nine miles of the Upper Truckee River, the final stretch of the River before it flows into Lake Tahoe. The properties around Johnson Meadow are owned by resource protection agencies, including the City of South Tahoe, the California Tahoe Conservancy, the California Department of Parks and Recreation, and the U.S. Forest Service. Johnson Meadow was the largest privately-owned meadow and the final puzzle piece needed to link the protected natural areas in this lower nine-mile reach. The purchase of Johnson Meadow links protected areas and connects over 1,000 acres of floodplain and meadow habitat into continuous public ownership along this stretch of the Upper Truckee River.

The Upper Truckee River watershed is located directly south of Lake Tahoe. The Upper Truckee River flows northward, passing through Johnson Meadow about a mile before reaching Lake Tahoe.  

Historically, meadows at the site filtered sediment from slow-moving, winding creeks that flowed across the meadow toward Lake Tahoe. During high flows, water flooded over the creek banks and onto the meadow floodplain, depositing sediment and allowing the snowmelt to be stored as groundwater. The meandering creek system at Johnson Meadow supported over 146 acres of wet montane meadow habitat and over 22 acres of willow riparian habitat.

Over the past 150 years, land use at the site degraded natural habitats in Johnson Meadow. Prior to the 1930s the area was used for dairy operations. When dairy operations stopped, Johnson Meadow was used for summer cattle grazing. Cattle presence on the site destroyed the wet meadows by eroding and incising creek channels.  

Marshes and wet meadows at Johnson Meadow were dredged and filled to create a canal system to manage the range for cattle. These canals drained the wet meadow and converted the creek into a fast-flowing, channelized waterway. The channelized canals prevented overbank flows that historically flooded the wet meadow. Without the overbank flows, the meadow cannot filter sediment from the water. With channelization, the site was cut off from water and sediment inputs needed for wet meadow habitat. In this condition, portions of the meadow have become so dry they may convert into dry sagebrush or desert scrub habitat.

In 2018, the Tahoe RCD acquired title to 206 acres, comprising the Johnson Meadow property. The Johnson Meadow acquisition “…will jump-start a collaborative effort to restore the river, improve wildlife habitat, and provide public access to visitors and the local community” said Nicole Cartwright, executive director of the Tahoe RCD. 

The restoration will include stream bank erosion control, recreating the wandering channels, planting native grasses to create bird and wildlife habitat, and installing boardwalks to allow the public access. Implementation of restoration at Johnson Meadow will likely take about 10 years from the time of acquisition. 

Restoration at Johnson Meadow is projected to benefit natural resources both within and downstream of the site. Benefits will include:

• Meadow filtration of sediment, improving water quality downstream, decreasing sediment flow into Lake Tahoe, and allowing the meadow to build up
• Restored hydrology in the meadow, which allows floodplain water storage during the wet season and higher stream flows in the dry season
• Increased plant diversity associated with the restored hydrology, thus increasing nutrient uptake and enhancing wildlife habitat within the riparian corridor
• Increased greenhouse gas uptake by creating new wet meadows

For further information, see:  https://tahoercd.org/home/programs-and-prjects-link-page/johnson-meadow 

To see other Project Highlight StoryMaps like this one, see:  https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Watersheds/Project-Highlights 

For Information on Proposition 1/68 Projects, please see:  https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Watersheds/Restoration-Grants/Projects 

For further information, please contact:  WatershedGrants@wildlife.ca.gov