One of the most successful revegetation projects at Heavenly is the recreation of a wet meadow environment at a site that was just a stream zone. We did this as part of a mitigation measure stipulated by the Nevada Dept. of Wildlife and the Army Corps of Engineers. In order for us to flood a viable meadow system (East Peak Meadow) to make a reservoir to provide water storage for snowmaking and irrigation, we had to recreate another on a 1:1.5 ratio. China Flats Meadow was created.

The project started with the construction of a dam at the East Peak Lake meadow area. We graded the site nearly level, and compacted and sealed with bentonite clay. Then we collected the top two feet of soil from the East Peak Meadow (flooded by the new dam) and transported it to the new site. We created a controlled entrance and exit for the stream. The edges of the area were planted with a variety of native woody plants. So far the results are looking good and we are hoping to continuing such projects. If you are up in South Tahoe, give me a call to get directions to see this project.

Gordon can be reached at (916) 541-1330

Editor's note: WMC member and frequent newsletter contributor Andrea Holland reports that Gordon has done a superb job at "greening" the mountain at Heavenly. No small accomplishment considering the moonscape he started with. According to Andrea, having an erosion control specialist on staff has helped the ski area develop a better relationship with the Forest Service, and the severe chronic erosion problems at Heavenly are becoming a thing of the past.