"Our future depends on the watershed. Its future depends on us" Truckee River Watershed Council

Our Little Creek in Crisis? by Patrick Somers, Health of Summit Creek Committee Chair
Summit Creek is a Pleistocene era (2.5 million years to 11,700 years ago) alluvial fan waterway that has been draining Donner peak long before humans arrived on the scene. A skip and a hop in geologic time. Do you ever wonder what Summit Creek and Donner Lake looked like 400 years ago? What was it like is the question I often consider. Can you imagine the unspoiled wilderness, waterways teaming with life, forests verdant and full of animal sounds?

Unfortunately human’s impact their natural environment. We love nature, but it seems only on our (arbitrary) terms. Fish in the stream, but not their insect food source. Birds, but we’re polluting their food with insecticides. Sadly I must report that this is certainly observable in our own backyard here at Donner Lake on Summit Creek.

It’s May 2020. Five years ago and before that, every May would bring a cacophony of frog sounds emanating from the culvert between us and our neighbors. Now I hear an occasional and pathetic croak and fewer every year. Twenty years ago Summit Creek was a hive of macro invertebrate activity. To celebrate this we installed little brass tiles of creek critters in our kid’s bathroom to include dragonfly’s, frogs, water bugs, water striders and turtles. Yep, turtles lived in Summit Creek. Possibly the Western Pond Turtle. Those critters are extremely rare or MIA altogether these days and have been gone for years now. To my simultaneous relief and dismay, even the mosquito population seems to be in rapid decline. Years past I could not sit creek side on a summer evening without being driven indoors by mosquitos. That is no longer an issue.

Yet and through all of this I believe in human ingenuity and their ability to find creative and fantastic solutions once they face the problem head on. So at age 61, let’s say that I want my grandchildren to have a similar experience on Summit Creek that our children had. That is currently not possible but it could be. I believe in human ingenuity and their ability to find creative and fantastic solutions once they face the problem head on. What must happen is for the destructive force (humans) to simply be aware of their impact. Most people adjust their behavior once they have a new awareness.

As part of any awareness is data. If Lake Tahoe water clarity was 102.4’ in 1968 when record keeping began (70.9’ in 2018). What was it like in 1068, around the time of William the Conqueror? What is the historical clarity values of Donner Lake? To my knowledge there are no records. The hard data which would support my view that Summit Creek is in decline is simply not available. A newcomer joining the throngs of paddle boarders on the creek might think it to be pristine but they have no history, no reference. There is a profound lack of science data for this waterway and Donner Lake. The following article supports this: Donner Lake Water Clarity

Which is why our homeoweners association has begun keeping the score for Summit Creek by way of the Truckee River Watershed Council (TRWC). The Truckee River Watershed Council is a non profit group that works to promote the health of waterways throughout the Tahoe region. Four times a year volunteers from our association participate with the Watershed Council in important biology and chemistry monitoring of Summit Creek. Tracking the chemical and physical characteristice of the creek helps us to determine the quality of the water and health of the creek.

This is merely a start. We should also employ the other function of the TRWC which observes and chronicles flora and fauna. Perhaps we do the unthinkable and consider limiting to hundreds the thousands of paddle boarders, kayakers, and party goers that make their way up the creek on a holiday weekend. Maybe even go as far as to suggest that dog owners quit allowing their canines to attack the remaining wildlife and muddy the waters all day long.

I believe that this little creek is in crisis. It has no voice but communicates nonetheless if one is observant. We are at a tipping point. It is in everyone's interest to preserve this water way gem. We hope you will join us in doing so.

If you are interested in helping with our monitoring initiatives please contact Patrick Somers at [email protected]. If you would like more information on the Truckee River Watershed Council please visit www.truckeeriverwc.org

You may be intersted in reading Elizabeth Kolbert's book "The Sixth Extinction". The Pulitzer Prize winning author suggests that loss of species is very observable in our own backyards. We just need to look.