Owners of unleashed dogs in Upper Truckee Marsh to be cited

By Kathryn Reed

While the dog ban at Upper Truckee Marsh is seven weeks away, enforcement of the leash law is being increased starting this weekend.

With the mild winter the area is experiencing, more people are outside playing. That in turn means more dogs running around in sensitive areas and disturbing wildlife.

AJ won't be allowed in the Upper Truckee Marsh area from May 1-July 31. Photo/Kathryn Reed

May 1 begins the second year of the seasonal three-month dog ban on this acreage owned by the California Tahoe Conservancy in South Lake Tahoe. Even dogs on leashes are not allowed at that time.

The reason is to protect the natural resources in the area, which is the largest wetland habitat in the Lake Tahoe Basin. This is the only one of the nearly 5,000 CTC properties that has this type of closure.

The Conservancy spent nearly a decade monitoring the area. Because people let their dogs run free, the board in July 2010 voted on the seasonal ban.

What will change this year is that more citations and fewer warnings are likely to be issued. This is because El Dorado County sheriff’s deputies used 2011 as a year to educate people. Animal control also patrols the area.

Plus, there are signs at the entrances to the marsh alerting people about the rules, so it should not come as a surprise.

Dana Dapolito, CTC associate environmental planner, said data collected from last summer in regards to the habitat is still being analyzed.

But it was pointed out if dogs continue to roam in the marsh-meadow, it is hard to quantify if the ban is helping flora and fauna in the area because it’s not a true ban.