Lake Tahoe EIP

South Zephyr Creek SEZ Crossing and Restoration Project

Project Number
01.02.01.0111
Action Priority
Restore Priority Meadows, Wetlands, and Lake Tahoe Tributaries
Implementers
Nevada Tahoe Conservation District
Supporting Agencies
Primary Contact
Meghan Kelly (mkelly@ntcd.org)

Stage
Planning/Design
Duration
2025 - 2027
Total Project Cost
$1,400,000
Funding Request
$1,400,000
Watershed Restoration Program Restore Priority Meadows, Wetlands, and Lake Tahoe Tributaries
The South Zephyr Creek SEZ Crossing and Restoration Project intends to reconnect floodplains below US-50, relocate existing stormwater assets outside of the SEZ, upsize or duplicate an existing culvert below US-50, and upsize an existing culvert on the USFS/Zephyr Cove Resort property. A resident beaver population utilizes an NDOT box culvert to dam the creek resulting in upstream flooding of the Zephyr Cove campground trails, US-50, and a nearby sewer pump station. NTCD will work with the USFS, NDOT and the Zephyr Cove Resort to design and implement the project.

Targeted Performance Measures

  • Acres of SEZ Restored or Enhanced

Threshold Categories

  • Water Quality
beaver dam within 4ft wide NDOT HWY50 culvert, November 2024
(Timing: Before) (~465 KB)
Credit: NTCD beaver dam within 4ft wide NDOT HWY50 culvert, November 2024

Location

Targeted Funding

Targeted Funding: Lake Tahoe Restoratio... (USFS - LTBMU), $1,050,000

Targeted Funding: Nevada Department of Transpor... (NDOT), $350,000

Photos

Before
second beaver dam below NDOT HWY50 culvert where SEZ needs to be restored, November 2024
(Timing: Before) (~3,034 KB)
Credit: NTCD
second beaver dam below NDOT HWY50 culvert where SEZ needs to be restored, November 2024
Urban uplands to reconnect and utilize as floodplain. Photo from April 2024 when beaver dam was breached and Zephyr Cove Resort was flooded.
(Timing: Before) (~2,190 KB)
Credit: NTCD
Urban uplands to reconnect and utilize as floodplain. Photo from April 2024 when beaver dam was breached and Zephyr Cove Resort was flooded.
Undersized culvert on Zephyr Cove Resort property creates road flooding, November 2024
(Timing: Before) (~2,175 KB)
Credit: NTCD
Undersized culvert on Zephyr Cove Resort property creates road flooding, November 2024
Zephyr Cove Campground Trail flooded due to beaver dam in NDOT HWY50 culvert, November 2024
(Timing: Before) (~2,374 KB)
Credit: NTCD
Zephyr Cove Campground Trail flooded due to beaver dam in NDOT HWY50 culvert, November 2024

Project Fact Sheet Data as of 01/15/2025