Three programs/projects were nominated by the Blue Ribbon Awards Committee and the winner is determined by popular community vote.
The Upper Truckee River watershed is the largest in the Tahoe Basin, draining more than 54 square miles. Urbanization has disturbed its natural ability to filter pollutants before they make their way into Lake Tahoe. The Upper Truckee River Watershed Restoration Project is a large-scale, collaborative effort on the part of local, state, and federal agencies and private property owners to restore the natural channels and floodplains of the watershed, improve river and stream habitat, fish migration, and significantly reduce about two-thirds of the total volume of sediment currently reaching Lake Tahoe. Other elements of the project are to improve recreational access along the Upper Truckee River corridor.
The primary intent of the project is the rehabilitation of the 0.6-mile stretch of Sierra Blvd from Palmira Avenue to Barbara Ave. The rehabilitation of Sierra Blvd will include redesign of the roadway section, the addition of bike lane(s), paths, pedestrian sidewalks and the addition of streetscape improvements such as pedestrian lighting, hardscape, and landscape improvements. The project will also provide corridor water quality improvements and tie-in with the erosion control improvements surrounding the project area.
Tahoe Arts Project (“TAP”) was established in 1987 by a group of parents, professional musicians and teachers to bring performing arts and cultural enrichment to schools in the South Lake Tahoe region in both CA & NV. TAP’s artists-in-schools programs meet the need for high quality fine arts activities for the children in grades K -12 and reach over 5,000 students, within 10 schools. Their largest annual fundraiser, Dancing with the Tahoe Stars, pairs local stars and dancing pros to compete in front of community members and is always a favorite spring event in the South Shore.