Water Quality Working Group

**[Lake Tahoe Interagency Monitoring Program (LTIMP)]{.underline}**

## Subcommittee

# Meeting Minutes -- July 5, 2000

**Next LTIMP Meeting:**

[**WEDNESDAY August 2**, **2000**]{.underline} --

**@[9:00 am to 12:00]{.underline} pm**

@ **[City of South Lake Tahoe Council Chambers]{.underline}** --

1900 Lake Tahoe Blvd (2 blocks west of the "Y") in South Lake Tahoe, CA

***[In Attendance (34 -- 20 affiliations):]{.underline}***

Sonya **Aguilera**, UNR-NDOT \* Steve **Bachman**, CTC

Larry **Benoit,** TRPA Kim **Carr,** CTC \*

Clayton **Chappell,** EDOT Vic **Claassen,** UCD

Keith **Dennett**, UNR CE Robert **Erlich**, Lahontan RWQCB

Julie **Etra**, WBS Monica **Finn**, Caltrans

Vern **Finney**, USDA-NRCS \* Martin **Goldberg**, Lahontan

Sherry **Hazelhurst**, USFS \* Alan **Heyvaert**, UCD-TRG \* Michael
**Hogan**, IEPS \* Jeff **Jesch**, WBS

Jon Paul **Kiel**, TRPA Steve **Kooyman**, City SLT \*

Jim **Lawrence**, NDSL-NTRT Josh **Lynn**, WBS Virginia **Mahacek,**
ENTRIX Bob **Niblack,** CDWR

Tom **O'Donnell**, Caltrans Martin **Ostendorf,** ENTRIX

Mark **Palmer**, UCD-TRG, HS Water Lab \* Steve **Patterson**, EDAW

Sean **Penders**, Caltrans \* Joan **Reynolds**, WBS

Tim **Rowe**, USGS \* Jenny **Scanland**, NDSL-NTRT

Lars **Spurkland**, UNR-NDOT \* Rob **Swartz,** CDWR

Chuck **Taylor**, CSLT Jennifer **Thies**, WBS

> \* - Attended previous meeting

1)  **[Erosion Control and Vegetation Monitoring in the Lake Tahoe
    Basin]{.underline} -- Julie Etra & Joan Reynolds, Western Botanical
    Services**

> Julie and Joan have been involved in the Basin since 1984 and are
> proposing a Basin wide study on Erosion Control Projects to see if
> project objectives were met. The objective is to see what is working
> or not working in the Lake Tahoe Basin. First thing to do is a
> literature search to see what was done and get history of projects to
> be able to evaluate success. The results of this study are to be used
> and duplicated by others. Sampling methodology would be a visual
> survey, using a standardized checklist form to see what is successful
> and what is not. Site selection would first be along roadways.
> Sampling would be in two intensities. The first would be drive by --
> visual critique made on numerous sites. Percent cover, reproduction,
> slope aspect, soil type would be noted. The second would be more
> intense on selected sites including collection of data on vegetation
> diversity, soils, and erosion. Transects would be run, whether by line
> or point intercept. They would also look at control and test sites,
> which would allow seeing how far out the test is. All data would be
> put into a database and then analyzed. Julie and Joan then provided a
> slide tour of successful and not-successful revegetation sites around
> Lake Tahoe from Rubicon in the 1980's to Incline Village in 1999.
> Problems noted were no breaks in long slopes, difficult maintenance
> problems with irrigation systems, and only one species planted etc.
> They welcome any comments on their proposal.

2)  **[Revegetation based erosion control demonstration and development
    program with CALTRANS]{.underline} -- Michael Hogan, IEPS and Vic
    Claassen, UCD**

The objective of this program is to define, identify, develop, and
demonstrate the most environmental and economical effective methods that
provide sustainable revegetation and provide this data to all. The most
important aspect of revegetation project is source control -- keep it up
on the hill. Downstream projects and BMP's cannot handle the loads if it
is not kept on the hill. Need toe of slope protection and stabilization
of top of slope. Mike showed examples of reveg. projects - from
expensive irrigation system on Spatz parking lot in Incline to visual
eyesore on Dollar Hill to recent sloughing slopes on the Spooner
project. Need to get information from experts, product salesman, other
regional applications, scientific studies, and project management. Need
to install adaptive management - to build in changes that need to be
done.

State of revegetation projects in the Basin -- limited programmatic
approach to improvement, limited or no funds for monitoring, source
control projects not controlling the source. Recent good developments
-- 1) Final report for Project Headstart Revegetation by Benoit and
Hasty, TRPA 1994, 2) Caltrans and UCD studies in 1998 providing good
connections between soil nutrients and plant growth, 3) NV Tahoe Bond
Act in 1999 came up with Objectives and Guidelines for Revegetation
success, and 4) success of Cave Rock 2A project as new methods were
used.

Elements of project -- a) literature search, b) built project plant and
soil monitoring -- 10 sites, c) identify and fill in data gaps, d)
application of best approach, e) test alternative methods, f) monitor
for success and sustainability, and g) apply to next project. Definition
of success -- ability of plant and soil community to reduce or limit
erosion to background levels over a period of time. Monitoring of soils
and plants need to be accurate, precise and defensible. Estimates
without measures of precision are unacceptable.
Reference/control/background sites are critical to show success.

Need to include final project design and implementation changes -- how
the project was actually done on the ground. Need as-built information
included in project files. Need to follow through on failures and
projects need to be accountable. With adding nutrients, mineralizable N,
to soils -- only put on enough to grow and establish the plant
community. Don't want added nutrients getting to streams.

3)  **[Update of California DWR's Bulletin 118 -- "California's
    Groundwater"]{.underline} -- Robert Niblack and Robert Swartz,
    Central District, CA DWR**

California DWR has been given \$1 million and 3 years to update DWR
Bulletin 118 -- 'California's Groundwater' done in 1975. The Central
District has over 90 GW basins to update. In the Lake Tahoe region they
include 1) Tahoe Valley South -- South Lake Tahoe/Upper Truckee, 2)
Tahoe Valley North -- Placer County -- west and north side of Lake, and
3) Martis Valley -- Truckee area.

DWR needs local input on references, water quality characterization,
water levels, water production, water budgets, water quality
impairments, active monitoring data, basin descriptions, management
plans etc.- as shown in example handed out. Please provide information
to Rob Swartz at CaDWR --

3251 S Street Sacramento, CA 95816, 916-227-7580, or email
rjswartz@water.ca.gov.

4)  **[Nevada Tahoe License Plate Grant Program -- First Round
    Recipients]{.underline} -- Jenny Scanland, NV Division of State
    Lands - NTRT**

> Jenny Scanland is now the NTRT contact person for the Nevada Tahoe
> Bond Act and also the Nevada License Plate Grant Program. Note that
> Chris Freeman, NDCD, recently retired, turning over Tahoe Bond Act
> position to Jenny. The Nevada Tahoe License Plate Grant program now
> has a balance of around \$700,000. The first round of Grants, for
> around \$350,000, were announced and were: 1) Public Outreach --
> Backyard project

2.  TRPA "**Maximizing Wetland Restoration Project Benefits**" Grant on
    Third/Rosewood Creeks in Incline Village

3.  Documentary film -- "Fate of the Jewel"

4.  Aesthetic improvements -- Sand Harbor

**[5) Other Notes]{.underline}:**

a\) **Sherry Hazelhurst, USFS**, had it announced that for USFS Grant
(\$950,000) requests people CAN include monitoring costs. This money is
available to the project until it is spent. Counties, cities are able to
apply for these funds. Deadline was July 15, 2000. Contact Sherry
530-573-2655 or email <shazelhurst@fs.fed.us> for further info.

b**) Larry Benoit, TRPA**, handed out copies of "Final Draft:
Bioavailable Nutrient Loading into Lake Tahoe and Control opportunities
with an emphasis on utilizing SEZ's to treat urban runoff" -- prepared
for TRPA by Hydro Science, March 2000. Contact Larry if you would like a
copy -- 775-5884547 x227 or email <lbenoit@trpa.org>.

Prepared by Tim Rowe, USGS, 7/19/00

***Next LTIMP Subcommittee Meeting*:**

[**WEDNESDAY August 2**, **2000**]{.underline}

**[9:00 am to 12:00]{.underline} pm**

@ **City of South Lake Tahoe Council Chambers** --

1900 Lake Tahoe Blvd (2 blocks west of the "Y") in South Lake Tahoe, CA

##### AGENDA

1)  **[LTIMP Subcommittee Water Quality MONITORING/SAMPLING PROTOCOLS
    for Lake Tahoe Basin]{.underline} -- many**

2)  **[Revisit LTIMP Subcommittee's Goals and Objectives]{.underline} --
    Alan Heyvaert, UCD-TRG**

> **(see below)**

Draft --2/24/00

# *Water Quality Working Group*

**[Lake Tahoe Interagency Monitoring Program (LTIMP)]{.underline}**

**[Subcommittee]{.underline}**

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**[Mission Statement]{.underline}**: To develop integrated water quality
research and monitoring strategies to support regulatory, management,
planning and research activities in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

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**[Objectives:]{.underline}**

1.  Provide input and direction for coordination of Basin monitoring and
    research programs. This will provide continuity and minimize overlap
    and duplication of water quality monitoring activities.

2.  Prioritize project water quality monitoring and research needs.

3.  Provide monitoring and research information to user groups in a
    timely and understandable manner.

4.  Assist monitoring and research community in identifying
    demonstration projects that can be used to evaluate the
    effectiveness of source control and water quality treatment methods.

5.  Identify water quality baseline and current conditions and long-term
    trends in Lake Tahoe, its tributaries and groundwater.

6.  Assist agencies and groups in the coordination and evaluation of
    water quality and restoration research and monitoring efforts.

7.  Link monitoring and research efforts with project planning,
    implementation, evaluation, and maintenance.

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**[Member Affiliations]{.underline}**:

Caltrans, Calif. State Parks, City of South Lake Tahoe, CTC, Douglas
Co., DRI, EDAW, El Dorado Co., Entrix, IERS, Incline Village GID, JWA,
Lahontan RWQCB, League to Save LT, NDCD, NDEP, NDOT, NDSL-NTRT, NTCD,
Placer Co., South Tahoe PUD, Tahoe City PUD, TRPA, TCSF, UCD-TRG, UNR,
USACE, USDA-NRCS, USFS, USEPA, USGS, Washoe Co., Washoe Tribe,
WRA-Swanson Hydrology