The Clear Creek Watershed comprises nearly 14 square miles east of Lake Tahoe and south of Carson City. It begins in the Carson Range near Spooner Summit at 8,780 feet elevation, flowing along Highway 50 through Douglas County, through the Carson City Fairgrounds and Fuji Park, and into the Carson River at 4,639 feet elevation. Clear Creek is a tributary to the Carson River and flows year-round. Nearly half of the land in the watershed is owned by the U.S. Forest Service.
Washoe Tribe History
Clear Creek Watershed remains culturally and historically significant to the Washoe Tribe of California and Nevada. Tribal memory and archaeological studies show that the area surrounding Clear Creek was a major travel route for the Washoe between Daowdaga (Lake Tahoe) and the Carson Valley.
European Settler History, Mid-1800s
The mountains surrounding Lake Tahoe were logged extensively. A flume was built over Clear Creek to transport logs down to the Carson River, diverting the creek’s water. Past agriculture diversions also removed water from Clear Creek.
Modern-Day Impacts
Clear Creek Road and Highway 50 have significantly impacted the creek. Expanded urbanization and increased runoff from commercial parking lots threaten the lower section. Locations with the greatest potential to cause stormwater pollution include construction sites, highways, roads, new developments and agricultural areas.
Between 2004 and 2007, the US Forest Service, Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT), and Carson City developed plans to improve Clear Creek’s water quality:
2004 USFS Landscape Analysis and Strategy
2004 Nevada Department of Transportation Erosion Assessment
2007 Clear Creek Stormwater Management Plan – Adopted by Carson City
Since then, Carson City installed Baily Pond at Fuji Park to protect Clear Creek’s water quality by mitigating stormwater effects. NDOT continues to improve drainages from Highway 50 to Clear Creek, and it has been removed from the list of impaired waterways.