Work on Burke Creek and Rabe Meadow underway

Work has begun on the restoration of Burke Creek and Rabe Meadow in Stateline.

Visitors to Kahle Drive Trailhead, Lam Watah Trail, Nevada Beach, Nevada Beach Campground and Rabe Meadow can expect to see work in the area including staging of equipment and construction materials, tree removal and culvert replacement over the next several weeks, according to the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.

A final decision on restoration activities for the area was issued by the Forest Service and the Nevada Tahoe Conservation District in April to improve water quality, meadow vegetation, and aquatic and terrestrial habitat for wildlife and plants.

This project complements previous restoration work between Highway 50 and the outlet of Burke Creek at Lake Tahoe, according to the Forest Service.

“Kahle Ditch backfilling and associated vegetation removal has begun near the end of Kahle Drive on private property, and crews are scheduled to start removing trees this week by hand in the larger Rabe Meadow project area,” officials said on Wednesday. “Most of the trees being removed are smaller than 10-inches in diameter at breast height and the maximum size that will be removed is 18 inches.”

Work in the vicinity of Jennings Pond will begin in August and is intended to create a more natural pond environment and improve existing habitat for beavers, birds, and native aquatic species.

Project work is expected to continue throughout the summer. Temporary disruptions to parking areas, trails, bike paths and beach access may occur, but every effort will be made to alleviate impacts to recreational access.

The Decision Memo and other project documents are available for viewing on the Burke Creek Restoration Project webpage.