The Cold Creek restoration project in South Lake Tahoe is one of the largest SEZ projects so far undertaken by the Conservancy, with a total project cost of $1,400,000.

The project, completed in 1994, re-created more than a mile of meandering stream channel, and reconverted a defunct man-made lake into a half mile long meadow that now absorbs runoff and provides habitat for fish and wildlife.

Cold Creek is particularly important because it is a major tributary to Trout Creek, the second largest tributary to Lake Tahoe. Cold Creek drains 13 square miles of the 37 square mile Trout Creek watershed.

Some 40 years ago, the creek was rerouted into a ditch, and a dam and lake were created in the meadow, with the hope of enhancing an adjacent subdivision. The effort was not successful, and concerns about dam safety, flooding, erosion, and nuisance odor from decaying algae prompted the City of South Lake Tahoe to apply to the Conservancy for a restoration grant.

Construction began in August 1994. The old "Lake Christopher" dam across the meadow was removed and the man-made channel was filled in.

The area was then reshaped to a more natural condition and revegetated. The new creek channel was constructed for re-create natural stream conditions. Natural materials, including tree root wads and willow and sod transplants were used to stabilize the stream banks.

Since construction, this project has experienced two successive wet winters and the newly restored creek not only sustained the flows without significant damage, but allowed the water it was carrying to flood over into the meadow, as it was designed to do, and this has restored the health of the meadow vegetation.

In addition, hundreds of tons of sediment have been deposited in the meadow, instead of being carried into Lake Tahoe.

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