None The Nature Conservancy in Nevada Press Releases Search All Press Releases Beth Dilly Michael Cameron, Truckee River Project Director The Nature Conservancy, 775-560-1940 (cell)

Senior Brass from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

to Tour McCarran Ranch

Reno, Nevada—November 16, 2004

            The Nature Conservancy and the United States Army Corps of Engineers will conclude a national planning conference with a tour of the Conservancy’s McCarran Ranch property this Thursday, November 18. The conference—the first of its kind between the Army Corps and a private conservation organization—is being held at Lake Tahoe because of its proximity to the Truckee River, a priority project for both organizations.

            The Nature Conservancy and Army Corps of Engineers are working together to address the environmental impacts on Army Corps projects on more than a dozen watersheds throughout the country—including the Neversink River in New York, Kentucky’s Green River, and the Mississippi. 

            The Corps’ interest in the Truckee dates back to the 1960s, when it altered the river’s natural flow and geometry as part of a flood control project.  Now, forty years later, the Corps is back as the contractor and leading funding source for The Nature Conservancy’s $7 million plan to restore lost and degraded wildlife habitat at McCarran Ranch.

            In 2002 The Nature Conservancy purchased 305 acres and 5 river miles of the historic McCarran Ranch as part of an overarching initiative to restore the health of the Truckee River for the benefit of birds, fish and wildlife.

            Senior personnel from the Corps, including General Riley (second in command) and Colonel Light from the Sacramento District are planning to attend the McCarran Ranch tour, as are representatives from local governments, which have also invested in the McCarran Ranch restoration project because of its  water quality, flood control, and recreational benefits.