Straw mulch will be dropped this week on land that burned in last year’s King Fire.

Approximately 320 acres along Eleven Pines Road were treated in November before heavy rain storms caused the work to be shut down.

Another 695 acres in the Eldorado National Forest will be treated with aerial mulching along Eleven Pines Road, with funding from the U.S. Forest Service, followed by approximately 250 acres northwest of the Brush Creek Reservoir, which is being paid for by Sacramento Municipal Utility District.

A contract was awarded to Salmon River Helicopters, based in Riggins, Idaho, who will use two helicopters to complete the project in seven days. The timeframe will be extended if weather conditions are not favorable.

The purpose of the project is to protect critical infrastructure from potentially severe post-fire erosion that may occur with winter storms, due to the loss of vegetative cover associated with the fire. The infrastructure at risk includes Eleven Pines Road, which serves as the primary route from Highway 50 to the northern end of the Eldorado National Forest, and the Brush Creek and Slab Creek reservoirs, which are integral to SMUD’s hydroelectric facilities in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.