TRUCKEE, Calif. – The nonprofit Truckee River Watershed Council (TRWC), alongside staff from the Tahoe National Forest, is launching a new forest health project near Boca Reservoir later this month that will help reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire locally, and protect the drinking water for hundreds of thousands of people living downstream in the Reno-Sparks area.

In total, the project anticipates treating approximately 1,940 acres of US Forest Service lands over the next three years to improve overall forest health. The project will remove ladder and surface fuels and use mechanical thinning to produce a healthy distribution of trees of varying sizes to decrease stand density and improve forest resilience and wildlife habitat. Fireline construction and any necessary trail reconstruction will also be completed.

“Thinning the overstocked forest around Boca Reservoir isn’t just about reducing fire risk in California—it’s also about ensuring that our neighbors downstream in Nevada continue to have access to clean, safe drinking water,” said Eben Swain, project director at TRWC. “The Truckee River provides about 85% of water for homes and businesses in the Reno-Sparks area. As we work to create healthy forests, we’re also creating healthy watersheds and healthy communities.”

The Boca Forest Health Project is part of a broader effort by TRWC and its partners in the Middle Truckee River Watershed Forest Partnership (MTRWFP), which aims to treat 60,000 acres by 2034.

“As the primary drinking water purveyor for over 470,000 people, Truckee Meadows Water Authority (TMWA) recognizes the connection between upstream forest health and our critical sources of water supply,” said Kara Steeland, senior hydrologist and watershed coordinator at TMWA. “This project, along with the others being implemented by the MTRWFP, is key to protecting the region’s water quality by decreasing the likelihood of high-intensity, high-severity fires from occurring in our watershed.” 

This project is one of six active projects being implemented by MTRWFP this summer, which has already treated 11,772 acres in its first two years of implementation. Planning is underway for another 13,000 acres. Partner organizations include the TRWC, TMWA, National Forest Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, and Tahoe National Forest’s Truckee and Sierraville Ranger Districts.

Learn more about the MTRWFP, project details, and temporary trail closures at truckeeforests.org/project-updates.