In 2000, the Conservancy secured the long-term protection of key wetlands and riparian habitats along a three-mile section of the Carson River by partnering with the Timken-Sturgis Foundation to purchase the River Fork Ranch, located south of Genoa at the confluence of the east and west forks of the river.

The 805-acre property's wet meadows, pastures and patchwork of wetlands have supported cattle and the only known nesting site for sandhill cranes in the Carson Valley for more than a century.

What the Conservancy is Doing at River Fork Ranch

Land protection:  More than 800-acres of crucial floodplain land has been protected at River Fork Ranch.  Incompatible development in the floodplain, such as real-estate and other developments, is one of the greatest threats to the future of the Carson River.  Open space and agricultural lands in the floodplain serve as an important buffer for the river, helping to reduce the impact of flooding on area homes and businesses, while at the same time providing some of the most important and rich wetland, wet meadow, and riparian habitats. 

Restoration:  Restoration work has started at the River Fork Ranch to give the Carson River more natural conditions. 

Sustainable Agriculture:  Before the Conservancy purchased River Fork Ranch near Genoa, the property had supported cattle for over a century.  Today, ranching still exists at the River Fork Ranch, where sustainable grazing practices that meet both agricultural and biological objectives are being modeled, including following a rest-rotational grazing plan and excluding cattle from the ranch’s sensitive riparian areas.  The Conservancy is working with Bently Agrowdynamics, one of the region’s largest cattle ranchers to ensure that the classic western ranching landscape is protected at River Fork Ranch, for the benefit of wildlife and the community.

Public access and education:  River Fork Ranch will provide an unprecedented opportunity to access the Carson River, visit its wetland and wet meadow habitats, and see the Conservancy’s restoration work first-hand through a trail system expected to open during the Spring of 2010.  In addition, a state-of-the-art visitor center – the Whit Hall Interpretive Center - at the site will serve as a hub for the trail system, give visitors access to the Carson River’s story, and demonstrate a more sustainable way of life in the Carson Valley and beyond.  

The Whit Hall Interpretive Center

The Whit Hall Interpretive Center will be a complete renovation of an existing ranch house.  The building design incorporates energy-saving technologies and will be submitted to the LEED certification process.  Some of the features include:

• Reusing as much of the existing building as possible
• A small, residential-scale wind turbine
• Flooring made with recycled materials
• Solar panels
• Passive Geothermal

The center will showcase how we can lessen our environmental footprint and live more sustainably in the choices we make, an increasingly important task in light of the threat of a changing climate.  To learn more about your impact, check out the Conservancy’s carbon calculator.

In addition, the Whit Hall Interpretive Center will be a learning center for local students, where the Conservancy hopes to use educational programming to expose children to the natural wonders of the Carson Valley and help develop a stewardship ethic in our next generation of leaders.

Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Brockliss Slough at River Fork Ranch © Anne Thomas/TNC; Leopard Frog  © Tim Torell; Cattle at River Fork Ranch © Anne Thomas/TNC; Whit Hall Interpretive Center rendering  © Cathexes Architecture.