Mother Nature naturally restores Truckee River
By Jamie Wanzek, Moonshine Ink
The Truckee River has returned with vigor. In addition to creating rare whitewater conditions and easing concerns about the recent drought, the raging cobalt flows have done up to $1 million worth of restoration work naturally, says David Lass, Trout Unlimited California field director.
The estimate is largely based on the amount of woody debris that has been swept into the river in the Tahoe-Truckee area, which creates fish habitat, feeds aquatic insects, and establishes “structure.”
Based on projects that TU has organized doing exactly the same thing — placing dead trees on the river bottom — he estimates that the high water has done the equivalent of $600,000 to $1 million of restoration work along the Truckee River watershed.