Erosion from Tahoe fire may hurt lake's health

Last week's fire occurred in a key watershed responsible for a quarter of all the pollutants entering the lake.

from the July 5, 2007 edition

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"The critical time is between now and when we get the rains in the fall. We need to get the planting done," says Donahoe.

While most of the burned land is public, experts say homeowners also have a role to play by replanting properties with vegetation that isn't highly flammable and that retains moisture.

Tahoe residents are familiar with such calls: For decades the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) has strictly managed building and landscaping on properties around the lake with an eye to conserving lake water quality.

The fire stirred up local bitterness, with some residents feeling the TRPA exacerbated the fire with an antierosion measure that involved keeping a layer of pine needles or wood chips on properties.

Homeowner Jeff Glass raised concerns over the needles several years ago in a letter to a local newspaper after a fire marshal recommended he clean them up. Last week's fire destroyed his home. He says he doesn't know if cleaning up his needles would have made any difference.

As fire officials began reopening neighborhoods last week, some residents started angrily raking up the pine-needle layer.

"In the short term, people will feel more comfortable if they remove pine needles from their property, and we understand that," says Julie Regan, TRPA spokesperson.

The TRPA is working with many agencies on the restoration efforts and wants to work in harmony with homeowners, too. "Hopefully we can keep the lines of communication open to let them know they can still protect their land from fire while also reducing the potential for erosion – that the two are compatible," says Ms. Regan.

Many factors contributed to the fire, including drought, high winds, sluggish efforts to remove brush from local land, and human carelessness. Investigators are searching for those responsible for the illegal campfire that started the blaze.

"I think the level of pine needles had very little impact on the course of how this fire burned. This fire was a perfect storm," says Reuter. "The best we can do is try to educate people" despite the mistrust.

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