Alpine Watershed Group (AWG) is located at the headwaters of five major river systems that provide water to millions of people in California and Nevada. Alpine Watershed Group works to ensure the safety and security of this crucial watershed in myriad ways including projects that restore riverine ecosystems, regular monitoring, and volunteer projects to get local communities engaged.

The 2021 Tamarack fire devastated a significant portion of Alpine County, completely destroying large swaths of forest ecosystems that have been suffering from historic drought. As the largest environmental organization in the area, AWG has taken the lead on the reforestation effort by helping to coordinate dozens of nonprofits, government organizations, and volunteers. In 2022, Bently Foundation awarded Alpine Watershed Group with a $10,000 grant towards restoring the Tamarack burn scar.

Alpine Watershed Group has been hosting Markleeville Creek Day annually since 2001. This community work day brings together dozens of individuals from the community to help enhance and restore the watershed. Projects include preventing stream bank erosion by installing willow stakes and beaver dam analogs, removing litter & invasive weeds, wrapping trees to protect them, and more. In 2023, Bently Foundation awarded $4,000 to AWG to ensure that Creek Day was successful.

Learn more about Alpine Watershed Group here.