TRUCKEE, Calif. — The Northern Sierra Partnership has picked up another piece of the public/private checkerboard of land in Sierra County, adding to the preserved area along the Little Truckee River.

With a contribution from the Smith family, the Trust for Public Land has purchased 480 acres along the Little Truckee River, including Webber Falls, and will soon convey it to the U.S. Forest Service.

“It's a beautiful gorge, a couple of great pools, and probably some big fish in there,” said David Brown, a board member of the Truckee Donner Land Trust. “It's a spectacular piece of property and certainly should be in public hands.”

The 480 acres adds to an effort to preserve the Little Truckee River watershed, including the recent acquisitions of Perazzo Meadows, Independence Lake and Coldstream Meadows.

The Smith Family, second homeowners in Truckee, were looking to give back to the area and contributed roughly one-third of the $1.84 million purchase price from timber company Sierra Pacific Industries, said Carl Somers with the Trust for Public Land.

“I think it is particularly critical now that we do this,” said Gene Smith of the Smith family. “I'm very proud of the enthusiasm and agreement shown by my family members, and our family is delighted by the choice of Webber Falls.”

Somers said that the Smith's contribution gave the trust the ability to act fast, purchasing the property in April.

The rest of the funding, coming from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, an appropriation supported by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., won't come until the property is handed over to Tahoe National Forest in the next few weeks, Somers said.

“We couldn't have done this without that cash in hand,” Somers said.