Thanks Ralph and John for the excellent info on Martis.
It is amazing how complex lots of this is.
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Thanks Ralph and John for the excellent info on Martis.
It is amazing how complex lots of this is.
Excellent. Wildfire prevention has also allowed conifers to encroach on the meadows and tap out the surface water with their effective root systems. I'd love to see the lake dewatered and the valley restored as a functioning mountain meadow. WITHOUT friggin dogs!! (I love dogs, but not most dog owners who blatantly ignore leash laws. "oh, but my dog never catches the birds it chases, so it must be okay." That bird needs to be on her nest protecting the chicks and eggs from the sun and predators).
Oh man... I was there one day with my kid when he was a toddler and I thought this dog might attack him. It was truly scary. My old dog used to chase deer and one time 'caught' a fawn (not in Martis and it didn't attack it, just scared it half to death) That incident made me rethink dogs on the land, and Indiana Jones stayed home a lot during fawning and nesting seasons. And then there is the poop bag issue. We spend a lot of time picking up bagged poop which is beyond me. With conifer encroachment, you're right that is a huge deal. We are removing encroaching conifers at Webber, Coppins, and Lacey Meadows right now, with lower Carpenter Valley up next. It is so cool to see the meadows come back-the seeds are still in there! Aslo I swear Coppins Creek has more water. It's a bit heavy handed at first but it seems to come right back!
Storage has been vastly increased in Stampede over the past few years. I think the pressure is a little off keeping Martis a flood control option. The dam was built atop a base of fractured basalt. At the 26' elevation currently maintained, it holds water but any more water and the head pressure seems to be enough to force water through the basalt. Years of pumping concrete into the dam has done little to stem the leaks and the potential for failure. Reno would be massacred if the Martis dam failed during a flood control attempt.