Spooner Meadow is a large montane meadow on the Nevada side of the Lake Tahoe Basin that provides important ecosystem functions for the surrounding watershed. In particular, Spooner Meadow plays a critical role in improving the water quality of North Canyon Creek, which flows through the meadow and into Lake Tahoe. However, human disturbances (e.g., grazing, roads, diverted water flow, and Comstock Era timber harvesting and water flumes) have altered local hydrology and potentially reduced the functional capacity of Spooner Meadow to benefit North Canyon Creek and the surrounding watershed.
During a recent reconnaissance visit to Spooner, we identified locations for study plots where we will monitor soil and vegetation characteristics over the next couple years to evaluate ecosystem functions and meadow health. These baseline data will inform restoration plans at Spooner to improve meadow hydrology and promote ecosystem resilience.
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