In the News

Events Focus on Living with Fire and BMPs at Tahoe
date posted: December 1 2005

Lake Tahoe Report #125
July. 11, 2005
By Heather Segale and John Cobourn

Many property owners at Lake Tahoe are implementing best management practices (BMPs) to protect the lake’s water quality. They are also creating defensible space around their homes to reduce wildfire risk. Homeowners can accomplish these two improvements simultaneously, in an integrated fashion, with some advance planning.

The Environment Team of the Parasol Community Collaboration invites homeowners to get some tips on how to do these property improvements, July 13 – 15, in Incline Village, at a series of three free evening events. The “Living at Tahoe: Protecting your property” series includes:

-4:30 – 6:30 p.m., July 13 at the Incline Village Movie Theatre: “Living With Fire.” At this event, hosted by the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District, Ed Smith of University of Nevada Cooperative Extension will discuss the wildfire hazard and give recommendations specifically for those who live at the lake on how to reduce the threat of wildfire to their homes.

-4:30 – 6:30 p.m., July 14 at the North Lake Tahoe Demonstration Garden on the Lake Campus of Sierra Nevada College: “A Garden Party.” Representatives from several agencies will show and tell how the newly renovated garden incorporates defensible space and BMP techniques.

-5:00 - 7 p.m., July 15 at the Donald W. Reynolds Non-profit Community Center, 948 Incline Way: “Wine, Cheese and BMPs.” This is an informal presentation and discussion by many agency representatives to help property owners get started with their property improvements. Useful handouts will be available.

Tahoe agencies are urging homeowners to work on the problems of wildfire risk and declining water quality at once. When property owners call one of the Conservation Districts for a free BMP site evaluation, they are not only likely to receive recommendations for controlling erosion and runoff, but also recommendations for reducing buildup of fuel for wildfires in the “lean, clean and green” space, 30 feet around all structures. In addition to learning how to infiltrate roof runoff, they might be advised to replace their wood shingle roof with a fire-resistant roofing material.

In past years, there was a misconception that defensible space required bare soil, while BMPs required dense vegetation around structures. Fire districts and conservation districts agree that while property owners need to cover bare soil to prevent erosion, they can do it in ways that do not substantially increase wildfire risk. For example, all agree that dense stands of highly flammable native shrubs should not be close to structures. Homeowners should break up shrub fields. They can prune some shrubs of dead wood and reduce them in height. They can cut others off at ground level, leaving the roots in place to hold the soil and allow new shoots to sprout. A year or two later, they can lop the older shrubs at ground level, and prune the younger shrubs to be attractive, leaving horizontal spaces between them about twice as wide as the shrubs are high.

Another way to cover bare soil and to prevent soil erosion is to cover the ground with mulch, such as wood chips, bark chips, or leaf and pine needle litter. For bare ground within 5 feet of structures, use inorganic, nonflammable mulch, such as gravel or river rock.

Some people have asked whether pine needles are too flammable to use as mulch. Most of Tahoe’s agencies now agree that property owners should remove pine needles from grass, walkways, decks, roofs and roof gutters. However, if needles cover bare soil, leave the bottom layer of old, decomposing needles in place to enrich the soil and to prevent soil erosion. This dark layer is called “duff.” Every year or two, if more than 2 inches of newly fallen needles covers the duff layer, carefully remove these new needles with a leaf rake. Newly fallen needles are not considered a major risk if they comprise no more than 1-inch to 2-inch layer.

For details about the “Living at Tahoe” events, or where you can get more information on creating defensible space and landscaping to protect Lake Tahoe’s water clarity, call Leslie Allen, (775) 832-4138; Erin Casey, (775) 298-0012; or Tia Rancourt, (775) 833-8106.

Watch for the “Lake Tahoe Report” in the Tahoe Daily Tribune each Wednesday, and tune in to KOLO-TV News Channel 8 Tuesdays at 5 p.m. to learn more. The “Lake Tahoe Report” is a collaborative effort of the Lake Tahoe Environmental Education Coalition, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center and the California State Water Resource Control Board. For more information, contact Heather Segale, UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, (530) 583-3279, or logon to www.lteec.org or www.tahoe.unr.edu.