In partnership with the National Forest Foundation, we funded the restoration of approximately 200 acres in the Stanislaus National Forest that burned during the 2013 Rim Fire. A large portion of the Stanislaus National Forest is in the Tuolumne River Watershed, which is the primary drinking water supply for Bay Area residents. The Rim Fire burned over 257,000 acres of forest, making it the third largest wildfire in California history at the time. Restoring this land reduces the risk of future fire by removing the dead trees, brush, and plants that can act as fuel. It also reduces erosion, improves water quality, maintains habitat for local wildlife, and provides outdoor recreation opportunities.
Minor Basin: Tuolumne River
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Ackerson Meadow Restoration Project
Ackerson Meadow is part of the largest mid-elevation meadow complex in Yosemite National Park, California. It is one of the largest mid-elevation montane meadows in public ownership in the Sierra Nevada and a critical biodiversity hotspot and wildlife corridor. Due to over a century of landscape manipulation, including domestic water diversion, farming, ranching, and timber harvest, wetlands within Ackerson Meadow have been lost and are continuing to be threatened.
In partnership with American Rivers, The restoration will re-establish the natural connection between the stream channel and the floodplain by slowing down the flow of water and spreading it out onto the floodplain surface and encouraging sediment deposition. The project is the largest ‘full fill’ meadow restoration attempted in the Sierra Nevada to date, with the promise of restoring biodiversity and enhance the ecosystem of the Sierra Nevada.