Nineteen miles of trail that travel through Desolation Wilderness from Echo Lakes to Lake Aloha are in desperate need of extensive restoration work due to high use, erosion and extreme weather events. To address this critical need, the Tahoe Fund is partnering with the Tahoe Rim Trail Association to launch a $50,000 matching campaign, according to a press release.
“In the last year alone, the section of trail that travels from Echo Lakes to Lake Aloha had over 2,000 trail users per week between June and September,” said Morgan Steel, executive director, Tahoe Rim Trail Association, in the release.
The work to be completed over the next two years will include re-establishing the trail tread, completing extensive rock work to make the trail surface safer for hikers and equestrians, and adding drainage to decrease erosion. Together, these trail restoration activities will protect water quality, prevent habitat and landscape fragmentation, and protect sensitive biological resources.
All donations to the Echo Lakes Trail Restoration project will be doubled until the $50,000 fundraising goal is reached. Contributions will also be matched with funding from the Latrobe Fund and in-kind contributions from California Conservation Corps, the Pacific Crest Trail Association and the US Forest Service. | tahoefund.org/desolation
