Before we get into a story that involves dams, reservoirs, and irony: A reminder that this edition of The Newsletter includes, as always, a carefully curated news digest that makes it easy for you to quickly find the most important stories happening in your community this week. Also: A brief intro to a nonprofit doing good work AND a seasonal recipe. It's an effortless scroll—but first:
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By Eric Johnson
Published Sep 16, 2024
Loch Lomond, the reservoir that supplies the city of Santa Cruz with a significant portion of its drinking water, is also a beautiful recreational and natural resource.
Dams and Reservoirs: Up and Down
California Dams Get Raised and Razed
As a lifelong sworn environmentalist, I have always felt a little bit guilty about the fact that I love reservoirs—and if I'm honest the dams that create them. As a kid growing up in New Jersey just outside Manhattan, the Oradell Reservoir was my refuge, and the place where I discovered nature. When I moved to the Santa Cruz Mountains soon after high school, the Loch Lomond reservoir was walking distance from my home and became another refuge.
I saw my first eagle at the Oradell Reservoir when I was 16, and my first mountain lion at Loch Lomond when I was 19. I mention this not out of pure nostalgia, but to pont out that beyond their intended benefit of storing water for human use, reservoirs can be inherently good, in that they support rich and healthy ecosystems. And yes: Dams throughout California and the West have massively disrupted fisheries and threaten keystone species such as Chinook salmon with extinction.
So this week, a nuanced look at some dams throughout the state that are going up and coming down.
The Ups and Downs of California Dams
We check in on efforts to raise some dams in the state to store more water, and to raze some dams to to let water run free.
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Nevada County's Homepage |
| Direct your browser to https://nevada.californialocal.com/ to catch up on the latest news in California and Nevada County. Bookmark the link and visit often, there's a lot happening in your community! | |
Recipe of the Week
Our friends at Sacramento Digs Gardening publish a recipe from their gardens every Sunday, which we feature here so you can start your week with some yum.
See more recipes in their Taste Fall! cookbook.
Get to Know a Group
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Truckee Tahoe Community Chorus |
Supporting local singers by building, promoting, and nurturing vocal music programs, the Truckee Tahoe Community Chorus hosts two annual concert series that feature music from a range of genres, such as classical, Broadway, and contemporary hits.
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From Our Media Allies |
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Community Invited to Participate in Placer Zoning Text Amendment Workshops, Town Hall Meeting |
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The Placer County Community Development Resource Agency is seeking public input into its proposed 2024 Zoning Text Amendment initiative, with multiple workshops beginning in September and a town hall meeting Oct. 15. |
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Placer Supervisors Ask Governor for Insurance State of Emergency |
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With residents and businesses facing dire insurance affordability challenges, the Placer County Board of Supervisors on September 10 approved a resolution asking California Governor Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency for homeowners and commercial property insurance. |
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Tahoe El Dorado Area Plan Approaches End of Phase 1 |
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In their second virtual workshop of the summer, El Dorado County's team for the Tahoe El Dorado (TED) Area Plan presented the feedback and engagement they've received over the summer and discussed the next steps. The team projects that the … |
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Tahoe Expedition Academy Gear Market Is Back |
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Tahoe Expedition Academy announced the return of its annual Gear Market fundraiser event to celebrate the start of the new school year and give families a chance to purchase everything they’d need at low costs—from camping gear and skis to … |
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Is There a Solution to Pothole Ridden Roads in Tahoe? |
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Whether it's the spilled beverage or a popped tire, residents or those traveling through the Tahoe region have likely encountered pothole and crack ridden roads. |
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Redevelopment and Art District Among Mid-Town Area Plan Priorities |
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The City of South Lake Tahoe City Council confirmed Mid-Town Area Plan priorities at their meeting Tuesday, Sept. 10. |
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South Lake Tahoe Hotels Support Davis Fire Evacuees |
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The City of South Lake Tahoe extends its deepest condolences to those impacted by the Davis fire in the Reno area. South Lake Tahoe residents and business owners experienced the challenges of evacuation during the Caldor wildfire threat in 2021 … |
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Placer County Ranks Number One in the Nation for Firewise USA Communities |
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Placer County is now the top-ranked county in the United States and California for the number of communities participating in the Firewise USA program. |
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Truckee Town Council Moves Forward With Short-Term Rental Workforce Housing Token Program |
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The Truckee Town Council met on Tuesday, Sept. 10, to discuss continuing the Short-Term Rental Workforce Housing Token Pilot Program. |
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Forest Thinning Continues in Lake Tahoe Basin |
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Tahoe Fire & Fuels Team forest thinning projects are underway and scheduled to continue for the next several weeks, conditions and weather permitting. Some projects are expected to continue through the fall. |
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Truckee Donner PUD Honors Board Member Joe Aguera’s 37 Years of Service |
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Truckee Donner Public Utility District named a newly-built water pump station the Joseph "Joe" R. Aguera Pump Station, in recognition of Aguera's 37 years of commendable service. |
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Fall in Tahoe Is Delicious |
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Culinary delights abound in Tahoe from farm-to-table festivals celebrating the bounties of the harvest, to craft beer and local wine food pairings to a cornucopia of Bavarian-themed Okotberfests. Tahoe's gastronomic events in the fall will delight even the most discriminating … |
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Arts Essential Part of Tahoe’s Community |
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Artists of nearly every medium are called to work, live and create in Tahoe and Truckee from painters and sculptors to fiber artists, songwriters, authors and poets to dancers and musicians, among many others. The arts also represent an important, … |
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Recent Local News |
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• California Fire Foundation Awards Funds to United Way Nevada County
United Way Nevada County has received a grant from the California Fire Foundation to fund fire preparedness and prevention programs.
(09/14/2024) → YubaNet• Dorsey Marketplace EIR Approved
In their September 10 meeting, the Grass Valley City Council voted to certify the final draft environmental impact report for the mixed-use Dorsey Marketplace.
(09/13/2024) → The Union• Nevada County Considers Commercial Home Kitchen Ordinance
Nevada County will be holding public meetings and soliciting comment via online survey as it considers adoption of an ordinance permitting commercial use of home kitchens.
(09/13/2024) → The Union• Grant to Fund Nevada County Conservation Planning
A California Strategic Growth Council grant of $500,000 to the County of Nevada and the Nevada County Resource Conservation District will fund a 3-year planning local conservation planning cycle.
(09/10/2024) → YubaNet|
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Recent Statewide News |
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• Audit of Military Equipment Used By UC Police
In compliance of state law, the University of California Regents will be considering the attached audit of inventory and use of military equipment by UC police and a budget request for additional items.
(09/15/2024) → University of California• Which Growing California Communities Will Get the Hottest?
California’s inland regions are experiencing dangerous heat waves, exacerbated by rapid population growth. As more people move away from the expensive coastal areas to more affordable inland communities, these regions are seeing significant demographic changes and spiking electricity bills.
(09/13/2024) → CalMatters• CA Cities Jump on Homeless Encampment Bans
For five years, California officials responding to the homelessness crisis had to work around one big restriction imposed by the federal courts: Because they didn’t have enough shelter beds, cities generally couldn’t make homeless camps illegal.
(09/13/2024) → CalMatters• No Sleeping Bags, Keep Moving: California Cities Increase Crackdown on Homeless Encampments
More than two-dozen California cities passed, strengthened or are considering ordinances that penalize people for sleeping outside, after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed cities to crack down.
(09/11/2024) → CalMatters• California Schools Face Twin Perils: Chronic Absenteeism and Declining Enrollment
California’s public schools have a numbers problem —and it’s not just that their students don’t score very highly in national tests of mathematics ability.
(09/11/2024) → CalMatters• H5N1 Bird Flu Infects California Dairy Cows
H5N1 bird flu has been reported in three California dairy herds.
(09/11/2024) → Los Angeles Times• CA Homeless Count Is Up 8% From 2022
An exclusive CalMatters analysis of the latest California homeless count reveals some good news and bad news: Though the growth rate of homelessness appears to be slowing, the overall number of unhoused Californians increased from two years ago.
(09/10/2024) → CalMatters|
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Government Announcements |
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State of California (09/13/2024) Megan Dahle CA Assembly 01: |
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Greetings This week Team Dahle had the privilege of attending the Topping Out ceremony for the Mountain View Skilled Nursing Facility and hospital addition. The ceremony marked a key milestone in bringing this vital facility to Modoc County and I want to give special kudos to Mountain View Skilled Nursing Facility for their dedication to [...]
The post Celebrating Healthcare …
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United States (09/12/2024) Dearborn Sausage Company, Inc. Recalls Wiener Products Due to Misbranding and Undeclared Allergens |
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WASHINGTON, Sept. 12, 2024 - Dearborn Sausage Company, Inc., a Dearborn, Mich. establishment, is recalling approximately 1,944 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) wiener products due to misbranding and undeclared allergens, the...
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State of California (08/30/2024) Brian Dahle CA Senate 01: |
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Senator Dahles legislation headed to Governors Desk for Signature
SREPweb
Fri, 08/30/2024 - 16:34
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State of California (08/30/2024) Megan Dahle CA Assembly 01: |
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Greetings We are in the last days of the California State Legislatures session for the year and many bills are coming up for a votesome good but others very concerning. Ill be in session late tonight and tomorrow and you can watch live here. One of the problematic bills is Senate Bill 950 which is a [...]
The post Last …
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United States (08/30/2024) Hickory Hollow Jerky Recalls Ready-To-Eat Jerky Products Produced Without Benefit of Inspection |
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WASHINGTON, Aug. 30, 2024 - Hickory Hollow Jerky, a Eufaula, Ala., establishment, is recalling approximately 6,229 pounds of ready-to-eat jerky products that were produced without the benefit of federal inspection...
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State of California (08/29/2024) Megan Dahle CA Assembly 01: |
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State of California (08/26/2024) Brian Dahle CA Senate 01: |
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Sen. Brian Dahle Helps to Unlock Millions in Funding to Support Wildfire Prevention Projects
SREPweb
Mon, 08/26/2024 - 16:52
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State of California (08/23/2024) Megan Dahle CA Assembly 01: |
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Greetings On Wednesday August 14th Team Dahle attended the 28th annual Lake Tahoe Summit at Round Hill Pines Beach Resort in Zephyr Cove NV. This years summit themed Connecting Tahoe: Investing in Transit Trails and Technology for the Future focused on the ongoing efforts to preserve Lake Tahoe and address the challenges faced by surrounding [...]
The post Lake Tahoe …
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State of California (08/16/2024) Megan Dahle CA Assembly 01: |
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Greetings I know many of you have faced the incredibly difficult challenge of maintaining insurance in wildfire-prone areas but today we have an important opportunity to make our voices heard. The California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is opening up public input on new regulations that could lead to more insurance options for those living in [...]
The post Make Your …
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United States (08/16/2024) FSIS Issues Public Health Alert For Ineligible Meat and Poultry Products Illegally Imported From the Republic of the Union of Myanmar |
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WASHINGTON, Aug. 16, 2024 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for various meat and poultry products that were...
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