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Dog closure at Upper Truckee Marsh ends

Tribune staff report
Yellow-headed Blackbirds can be found at the Upper Truckee Marsh.
Brian Tang / Provided courtesy of California Tahoe Conservancy |

An annual closure prohibiting dogs on the Upper Truckee Marsh ended Tuesday, meaning man’s best friend is once again permitted to explore the area while leashed.

“Thank you to all of the visitors and residents who complied with this closure and helped protect all of the sensitive species with whom we share this incredible natural resource,” said Shawn Butler, land management supervisor at the California Tahoe Conservancy.

The seasonal closure protects wildlife, such as Yellow-headed Blackbirds during their breeding season from May 1 through July 31. Many migrant species will continue to use the marsh as a pit stop.



With that in mind, Will Richardson, co-director of Tahoe Institute for Natural Sciences, said people who let their dogs “flush the birds” may end up killing some of the birds without knowing it.

“Migration is very difficult work, and these birds are often right on the physiological edge between life and death,” he said in a statement.



The Conservancy owns and manages the 600-acre marsh, one of the largest remaining in the Sierra Nevada. The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office and Conservancy Land Steward patrol it to provide education and enforcement as needed.

For more information, call Victoria Ortiz at (530) 542-6063 or visit http://tahoe.ca.gov.


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