BEsT MANAGEMENT PRACTICEs HANDbooK - Tahoe BMP

CHAPTER 5: SOIL AND VEGETATIONMANAGEMENT5.1 PURPOSE AND USE OF THIS CHAPTERSoils and vegetation of the Lake Tahoe Region play a vital role in protectingand enhancing the lake’s clarity. Healthy soils and vegetation directly influencewater quality, all three of which are environmental threshold standards thatdrive the mission and work of TRPA. Soils support vegetation growth andmitigate human impact by filtering stormwater runoff before it reaches LakeTahoe. Vegetation controls erosion by stabilizing soil, reducing raindropimpact, slowing the velocity of surface runoff and providing nutrient uptake.These represent only a few of the various soils and vegetation functions thatmake their protection, restoration, and management TRPA priorities.Development practices in the Lake Tahoe Region over the past 150 years haveimpacted the region’s soil and vegetation resources. Urban development hasphysically altered and shaped the landscape, resulting in soils being moved,compacted, and eroded. Changes to the region’s vegetation patterns occurrednot only through the removal of large areas of natural cover, but also fromlandscaping which removed many native plants and replaced them with turfand other non-native plants. These changes to the soil and vegetation resourcesresulted in increased surface runoff, accelerated erosion, nutrient runoff fromdeveloped lots, and the introduction of non-native species.This chapter is organized into the following sections:• Section 5.2 provides general information on soil properties and soilmanagement practices.• Section 5.3 provides general information on plant selection, lawns and turf,fertilizer, irrigation, pesticides, invasive weeds, and fire defensible space.• Section 5.4 discusses three typical project scales used in this BMP Handbookbased on project size and land use to guide a project proponent indeveloping a revegetation and/or fertilizer management plan.• Supporting resources at the end of the chapter include the Revegetation PlanTemplate, Fertilizer Management Plan Template, a description of commonRevegetation Site Types, Site Type Recommended Species List, Site TypeRecommended Seed Mixes, and TRPA Approved Plant Species AttributesTable.TRPA BMP HandbookCHAPTER 5: Soil and Vegetation Management2012 Page 5-1