Planning and design of a stream restoration and enhancement project in Nevada

Third and Incline Creek Restoration

Creeks may be small bodies of water, but they can impact much larger ones—even one as large as Lake Tahoe. Located near Incline Village, Nevada, several creeks suffered degradation that was affecting fish mobility and water quality. By improving fish passage, channel stability, water quality, and all elements affected by past and current human activities, the watercourse has been restored to its more natural state.

With our expertise in areas like hydrology, environmental monitoring, and slope design and stabilization, we were able to improve water flow and quality. Using biotechnical stabilization techniques, this helped restore creek banks to their more natural state, provide for additional habitat, and slow sediment transport. We also designed three new pedestrian bridges at existing culvert crossings, improving access and walkability for the community.

The award-winning stream restoration and enhancement project created 1.5 culvert improvements, allowing fish to travel through the culverts, including to parts of the stream previously inaccessible to them. Existing pond inlets and outlets were redesigned to allow fish passage, increase habitat, and provide better control of the pond level, helping lessen flooding issues by increasing flow capacity.