Tahoe Fund Helps Open New Taylor Creek Overlook
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – October 10, 2017– The Tahoe Fund helped the US Forest Service open a new boardwalk and overlook at the Taylor Creek Visitors Center on Thursday morning, just in time for the annual arrival of the spawning Kokanee salmon. The new overlook was designed to provide a great viewing area for the thousands that visit each fall, while keeping everyone a safe distance from the bears who also visit Taylor Creek this time of year.
“This is a great project and a great community partnership,” said Tahoe Fund Board Chair Art Chapman. “It was great to hear the excitement from the school children and families as they watched one of nature’s incredible shows. We are so thankful to our donors for helping to make this happen.”
A large part of the Tahoe Fund’s $25,000 grant for construction of the project came through a matching donation from Matt Levitt of Tahoe Blue Vodka. “I live right down the street from Taylor Creek and my children just love coming here, “ remarked Levitt as he stood on the new boardwalk. “Taylor Creek and the Kokanee are an integral part of Tahoe living, and I am honored and excited to be part of the improvements.”
The salmon, that are not native to Tahoe, have learned to spawn up Taylor Creek each fall because of the consistent flows from Fallen Leaf Lake. Forest Service interpretive rangers estimate between 20,000 to 80,000 fish spawn each fall. The bears have only recently learned to catch the fish, creating a wonderful wildlife experience for visitors but also a potentially dangerous one. With the new overlook, the bears will left in peace and away from selfie-taking visitors. The overlook was built with help from the summer work program, Generation Green, and the Tahoe Heritage Foundation.
“People were getting too close to the bears and it was creating an issue,” said Jeff Marsolais, Forest Supervisor of the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. “This project would not have been possible without the leadership of the Tahoe Fund and the partnership of the many others who worked on it.”
The Tahoe Fund supports environmental improvement projects that restore lake clarity, improve outdoor recreation and inspire greater stewardship of the region. Through the generous support of private donors, the Tahoe Fund has supported 25 environmental improvement projects since its founding in 2010. The projects include new sections of the Lake Tahoe Bikeway, restorations of watersheds, removal of aquatic invasive species, public beach improvements, and stewardship programs.
To learn more about the Tahoe Fund and how you can get involved in other projects, please visit tahoefund.org or email info@tahoefund.org.
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