CWSD Hosts Its 2026 “Get on the Bus” Tour

Get on the bus in 2026! We have an action-packed schedule about all things water for both the upper and lower watershed, and with the fall option we expect cool and comfortable temperatures for our trip. Both days of the tour will start in Carson City; expect to be traveling from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Lunch is included both days, and CEUs will be available for several disciplines.

“Get on the Bus” Carson River Watershed Tour, Tuesday Oct. 27 & Wednesday Oct. 28
Early Bird Registration – through Friday, Sep. 11: $200
Sep. 12 – Oct. 23: $225

One-Day Option: $150

Space is limited, so preference will be given to two-day registrants. One-day registrants will be placed on a waitlist and notified if space is available by Friday, Oct. 23. REGISTER NOW!

Check out our planned stops below:

Tuesday Oct. 27
• A tour of Carson City’s Quill drinking water treatment plant
• An on-bus discussion of floodplain protection and stormwater as we drive through Carson Valley
• A visit to the 1,688-acre Park Ranch along the Carson River’s East Fork near Markleeville, Calif. The parcel, secured by Western Rivers Conservancy and Alpine Co., preserves meadows, wildlife migration corridors, and public river access.
• A field tour and update on the Markleeville Creek Floodplain Restoration Project
• A discussion of post-fire restoration activities at Turtle Rock Community Center in Alpine Co.
• Lunch at The Nature Conservancy’s River Fork Ranch near Genoa, with presentations on preserve projects, grazing activities, invasive species remediation and river restoration
• A visit to the new Middle Carson River Preserve off the Bently Heritage Trailhead in Douglas Co.
• Presentations by Washoe Environmental Protection Dept. at Fuji Park on Tribal programs and projects throughout the watershed and beyond
• A tour of Ambrose Carson River Natural Area, with talks from Carson City Open Space staff on cottonwood galleries and wildlife habitat

Wednesday Oct. 28
• A visit to the Fallon Paiute Shoshone Tribal wetlands, with an additional presentation by the Stillwater Wildlife Refuge
• A guided tour of the Churchill Co. Museum
• A visit to Churchill County High, whose students have built hoop houses onsite and support Lahontan Conservation District’s annual tree and native plant sale
• Lunch at Rambling River Ranches, with presentations by River Wranglers, the LCD manager, and others
• A field tour of Rambling River Ranches regenerative agriculture efforts
• A visit to the Lahontan Dam and pumphouse, with presentations on the Newlands Project and by Truckee Carson Irrigation District
• A visit to the as-yet-unnamed new state park outside Dayton, which will have a name by the time of the tour
There will be more to come! Stay tuned for updates to this program and a timeline for both days.