A sawmill on Washoe Tribe land off Vista Grande Boulevard as seen from Old Clear Creek Road on New Year’s Day.
Photo by Kurt Hildebrand.
A sawmill operating behind Carson Valley Plaza is seeking water service from the North County Water Service Area.
Tahoe Forest Products would pay an estimated $287,725 if they use the maximum 200 acre feet of water a year, according to an item appearing on Douglas County commissioners consent agenda.
Operators of the sawmill originally proposed drilling a well to serve it, but that raised concerns from neighboring well owners.
The sawmill is outside of the county’s water service area. Because the 145-acre parcel is owned by the Washoe Tribe, it would be a nonpermanent use, according to Public Works Director Phil Ritger.
The sawmill would be charged the commercial rate of $787.40 a month plus a metered $4.27 per 1,000 gallons used.
An acre foot is the amount of water it takes to cover one acre to the depth of one foot and amounts to 325,851 gallons. The connection fee for a 4-inch line is $125,600.
Should it be approved, the agreement lasts five years with three automatic five-year renewals. It may only be terminated for cause in the first five years. After that, either the county or the operator can cancel with 180-days notice. Under the agreement there is no obligation for the county to serve any future lease holder.
Tahoe Forest is leasing the property from the tribe.
The action appears on county commissioners Monday consent agenda. Commissioners meet 10 a.m. in the Douglas County Courthouse in Minden.
The sawmill broke ground in December 2023 starting to produce rough lumber from burned trees cut down after the Caldor Fire.
The company hopes to start making commercial lumber this year, according to a story written by Katelyn Welsh that appeared in the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
The distance to the nearest mill was at times enough to disqualify fuels treatments in the region all together, according to the Forest Service.
“The Forest Service has seen many fuels reductions treatment projects not receive bids in our region,” said U.S. Forest Service Public Affairs Specialist Lisa Herron, “because intake facilities are too far away or lack capacity after handling their own land and logs.”
According to Tahoe Forest Products, 90 percent of the mill’s stock comes from national forests.
The Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, the Eldorado National Forest, and the Inyo National Forest have supplied logs. Tahoe Forest Products is also working with the forest service to eventually include logs from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and the Plumas National Forest, plus other Tribes and partners.
“Tahoe Forest Products Mill provides an invaluable regional intake resource for forest service wildfire recovery and forest resilience projects,” Herron said.
According to company chairman Kevin Leary, the annual growth of the forest within 100 miles of the mill is more than the facility can even process.
