Vote today for Sierra watershed protection funds
March 2nd, 2009 by Geoff, Executive Director
Our friends at the Sierra Nevada Alliance are in the running for a $10,000 grant to support volunteer watershed stewardship and protection. The twist is that the funder is asking the public to vote for who gets the funding. Please consider voting for the Alliance! To vote, just go to:
http://www.rivernetwork.org/forms/vote-millercoors-grants
Here are mote details (from the Sierra Nevada Alliance):
There are 8 projects competing for $10,000 and the Alliance’s Monitoring Project is the only finalist from California.
The Sierra Nevada Alliance’s South Lake Tahoe Volunteer Monitoring Project has been chosen as a finalist in the River Network/MillerCoors Watershed Protection Grant contest! This project is a water quality monitoring effort to assess creeks and rivers at specific monitoring sites to evaluate the health of the Upper Truckee Watershed, which flows to Lake Tahoe.
This project is 1 of 8 projects selected in 6 states across the nation and the only project protecting a California watershed. From February 10 to March 6, the public is encouraged to vote for their favorite project. The four proposals with the most votes will each receive $10,000 from MillerCoors towards the proposed project.
Why monitor water pollution in South Lake Tahoe Rivers? Lake Tahoe is a national treasure where one drop of its crystal blue water resides for an average of 700 years! The Upper Truckee River is the largest input into Lake Tahoe and is home to vibrant meadows, clean mountain streams, and precious wildlife. Monitoring water quality helps track trends in water pollution and stream conditions over time and helps us understand what is happening upstream before water enters Lake Tahoe.
By voting for the Sierra Nevada Alliance’s Monitoring Project, you will be helping us re-start a previously bond-funded project that mobilizes local volunteers to monitor their own watershed health. In 2008 over 30 volunteer monitors provided over 500 hours to collect data at 15 rivers and creeks in South Lake Tahoe. Due to the budget crisis in the state of California, the funding for the 2009 season has been cut and without funding from an alternative source, this project will not continue.
