The USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) is asking the public to stay on the designed trail at Rabe Meadow near Burke Creek and Nevada Beach on the South Shore, according to a press release.
Due to the wet winter and beaver activity in the area, the Lam Watah Trail that meanders through Rabe Meadow is flooded in some locations and trail users are bypassing flooded sections and creating undesignated trails in the meadow. Users are asked to remain on designated trails, which in some cases may require walking through flooded sections, rather than around them in order to protect adjacent sensitive areas.
User-created trails can be devastating to public land and water quality, especially in areas adjacent to Lake Tahoe that impacts lake clarity. It is also expensive and labor-intensive to correct. Healthy meadows (not trampled by footsteps) are important, not only as wildlife habitat but for the natural filtration it provides.
The Burke Creek Rabe Meadow Riparian Restoration Project includes plans to reroute sections of the Lam Watah Trail and construct boardwalks to address flooding and water quality issues in several locations including Rabe Meadow, Jennings Pond and Nevada Beach campground, with some work expected to begin this summer. | fs.usda.gov
