Shutdown delays work on Upper Truckee River

One of the casualties of the federal government shutdown is work by the U.S. Forest Service to reroute the Upper Truckee River had to come to an abrupt halt.

Without being able to talk to anyone in the Lake Tahoe office, it is not known how this setback will impact the project or the environment.

Oct. 15 is the date set by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency for when dirt can no longer be moved in the basin without special permission. The Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board also has a say in what is going on with projects affecting waterways.

Both agencies have been watching to make sure the staging are at Sunset Stables has been secured.

“The large stockpile at the staging area was graded and compacted, then covered with a hydraulically-applied bonded fiber matrix. Weighted fiber rolls surround the downslope sides of the pile. In addition the entire staging area has runoff collection ditches along the downslope side that lead to infiltration basins,” Laurie Scribe, environmental scientist with Lahontan, told Lake Tahoe News.

Jeff Cowen with TRPA told Lake Tahoe News, “The shutdown has affected the project, but the USFS was able to get an exemption to keep a couple of people on for one extra week. They are on call for emergencies.”

— Lake Tahoe News staff report