South shore community celebrates completion of stormwater project with ribbon-cutting ceremony 

by n Victoria Mastrocola Follown vmastrocola@swiftcom.comn | Sep 28, 2026 | Uncategorized

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The completion of the multiphase Tahoe Valley Stormwater and Greenbelt improvement project was cause for celebration on Friday, September 25 as community members, city staff and organization partners gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“[This project] represents our commitment to protecting Lake Tahoe’s legendary water quality, improving our shared public spaces, and supporting the long-term health and vitality of our community,” said Mayor Cody Bass prior to the ribbon-cutting.

Through two phases, the project took three years to complete with phase one beginning in 2023 at the Bonanza and D Street neighborhoods, with infrastructure put in to collect rain water through a series of three basins.

“The large North Bonanza basin that ends at Highway 50 will then cross under the road, come over [to phase two] and have lots of room to spread out,” Brianna Greenlaw, project manager, told the Tribune. 

Phase two spans from the central greenbelt area behind The Crossings at Tahoe Valley through 4th street, Barton and Helen Avenues where stormwater will travel through another set of swales and treatment before it goes into the Upper Truckee River.

“It really disconnects a large commercial area where there’s a lot of urban runoff from a direct connection to the lake,” Greenlaw explained. 

Totaling roughly $7 million per phase and a total project cost of upwards of $14 million, the improvement project includes a natural stormwater treatment system using native plants and infiltration into soil, an expansion of a riparian stream environment zone, solutions to localized flooding through new drainage solutions, improvements to pedestrian and bicycle pathways and an all new, naturally-structured playground. 

The California Tahoe Conservancy and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA), together, contributed around $4 million. Other contributors included the city’s general fund, the Lohontan Regional Water Quality Control Board, and Tahoe Fund.

“With this completion, everything is in one place,” said Greenlaw. “The kids have an opportunity to play on nature-like structures that fit into the natural environment. There’s multi-use paths that, before this project, would get flooded and covered in snow, and they weren’t able to be used in those seasons.” 

The playground and community space sits just behind The Crossings at Tahoe Valley and connects to multi-use paths, allowing patrons at local businesses of the commercial plaza to utilize the amenities with their children.

Following its completion, Dennis Churchill, City of South Lake Tahoe’s Parks and Recreation Parks Manager will take over in ensuring the new amenities and improvements are well-maintained through snow removal, litter removal, playground inspections and more.

“Over my 24 years, I’ve seen lots of great things going up in the city,” said Churchill. “I don’t want to sound corny and say it’s the funnest part of my job, but it is about the people. It’s exciting to see people congregating and conversing, and enjoying the park.”

Churchill hopes the community will assist in keeping the area clean and safe by following the classic “pack it in, pack it out” outdoor ethic along with picking up after their dogs.