Washoe County Parks and Open Space Weed Treatment and Revegetation Project along the Truckee River

Project Description:

This project would remove noxious and invasive weeds and re-establish native vegetation in Washoe County Parks and Open Space areas along the Truckee River corridor. Project implementation would include weed inventory, GIS mapping and reporting, chemical and mechanical treatments, re-vegetation, and monitoring. A combination of Washoe County staff time, contracts, and volunteer efforts would be used to implement the project. In previous years, a majority of the weed inventory and treatment in Washoe County Parks and Open Spaces along the Truckee River was conducted by the Nevada Land Trust using Truckee River Funds and in partnership with the Nevada Division of Forestry (NDF) using Medusahead Grant funds. Since the Nevada Land Trust weed program has ended, Washoe County Parks would like to continue with noxious weed monitoring and treatments to improve fish and wildlife habitat, enhance recreational opportunities, improve water quality through soil stabilization, reduce fire hazard, and increase the visual quality of parks.

TMWA Benefit:

The proposed project advances Truckee River Fund grant priorities II, IV, VII, and VIII. Managing noxious weeds and re-establishing native vegetation along the Truckee River corridor helps to improve water quality by stabilizing soils and reducing erosion potential and sedimentation as identified in Priority II. The proposed project advances Priority IV through re-vegetation of upland areas which will help to improve watershed resiliency and targeted efforts in Bartley Ranch Regional Park which will focus on restoring native upland vegetation in a previously burned area. Priority VIII is advanced through Washoe County’s partnership with multiple stakeholders including the Nevada Land Trust (One Truckee River Initiative), Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful, Nevada Department of Wildlife, Nevada Department of Agriculture, and Nevada Division of Forestry to identify restoration needs and leverage funding sources for projects in the Truckee River Corridor.