Schoolyard BMP Project

The Schoolyard Best Management Practices (BMP) project currently underway is funded by the California State Water Quality Bond, Proposition 50. Eight school sites are involved in the project with the goal of having all school sites (CA only) in the basin meet their BMP requirements, as laid out by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA). SWEP is involved with this project to fulfill the education and outreach requirements of the grant. We have partnered with both CA Tahoe Basin school districts, Lake Tahoe Unified and TahoeTruckee Unified and the Tahoe Resource Conservation District to involve the school and surrounding community in the school site projects. Additionally, we will work together to promote residential BMP compliance and community awareness of water quality issues.

South Lake Tahoe High School is currently undergoing major construction, which will include completion of the BMP's for that site. Our outreach team is working closely with SLT staff to involve students in the BMP process and develop community outreach opportunities.

Tahoe Lake School in Tahoe City is very close to BMP compliance. In the summer of 2008, a major parking and drop off/pick up reconfiguration was completed. Students helped to revegetate the grounds and monitor the storm drains for blockage.

Other schools involved in this project are: South Lake Tahoe Middle School, Bijou Elementary, Environmental Science Magnet School, Tahoe Valley Elementary, Sierra House Elementary, Rideout (currently in use as a community center).

Schoolyard BMP (best management practices) projects have occurred at several Lake Tahoe Basin schools. Though each project is unique to the school site and all have the goal of improving water quality within the Lake Tahoe Basin, common elements include:

• student involvement in designing the projects
• removal of pavement
• capturing of stormwater and infiltration on the school site
• planting of native plants to restore areas, improve infiltration and provide learning environments
• classroom lessons on watersheds, erosion, lake clarity, native plants, as part of the Teach Tahoe Lesson Plans
• education of parents and the community using the projects as demonstration models, including brochures, open houses, and surveys
• extensive involvement of community partners, including but not limited to:
  • agencies such as Tahoe Resource Conservation District (TRCD), Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board, California Tahoe Conservancy (CTC), Placer County and Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA)
  • nonprofits such as Sierra Watershed Education Partnerships (SWEP), Sierra Nevada Alliance, and Lake of the Sky Garden Club
  • Tahoe Truckee Unified School District (TTUSD) and Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD)
  • Parent Teacher Organizations at each school
  • media such as KOLO TV and local newspapers
  • local businesses such as Basile Management Practices, Teichert Aggregates, Aqua Pura, The Rock Garden, Sagan Design Group

The BMP Demonstration Garden at Tahoe Lake Elementary School in Tahoe City is the most complex schoolyard BMP project to date and is available as a model for future projects.

How can SWEP help?

SWEP can help teachers design small schoolyard BMP projects and make connections with resource agenices and other community resources. For more information on this or other projects, please contact Project Director Missy Mohler, missy@4swep.org.

• 530-525-9457 • PO Box 1096, Homewood CA 96141