By Meghan Christie, Truckee River Watershed Council
Dust off your boots, roll up your sleeves and come out for a day of volunteer restoration to help bring resilience to the Truckee River watershed. Truckee River Watershed Council’s 26th annual Truckee River Day is on Oct. 17 and features restoration opportunities for all ages and abilities. Since 1996, thousands of nature lovers have shown up yearly to take on hundreds of restoration projects throughout the watershed.
Truckee River Day volunteers will plant native vegetation, mulch sensitive areas and restore meadows, riparian areas and more, providing essential support to existing restoration projects.
Each year, as the effects of climate change are felt in our backyard, volunteering on Truckee River Day is a perfect way to take individual action and make a lasting difference. California’s wildfires have reached unprecedented levels in the past decade. One of the reasons the fires are so powerful is due to the extreme dryness of soils and vegetation. This lack of moisture, in part, is caused by climate change and exacerbated by the current drought.
The restoration work of Truckee River Watershed Council in the forests, streams and meadows of the Middle Truckee River watershed works to retain that moisture. By reconnecting the hydrology, we restore natural flow patterns and water-holding capacity to keep the soils and vegetation moist longer into the dry season, which contributes to both fire prevention and recovery if a fire does occur.
Learn more about the importance of the Truckee River watershed
Come see restoration projects such as Sardine Meadow up close. Truckee River Day volunteers will plant native vegetation, mulch sensitive areas and restore meadows, riparian areas and more, providing essential support to existing restoration projects.
Later in the day, all are invited to Truckee River Day Fair at Granite Flat Campground from 1 to 4 p.m. to celebrate — even if you didn’t participate in the restoration projects. Enjoy live entertainment, environmental education activities, art projects and more.
Granite Flat is located 1 mile south of Truckee on Highway 89. Truckee River Day Fair is presented in partnership with Sierra Watershed Education Partnerships.
Registration before Oct. 13 is required to participate in Truckee River Day. | truckeeriverwc.org
