ALPINE COUNTY, California — It has been a week since two days of heavy rain fell over the Tamarack burn scar, causing a mountain of mud and debris to move through the town of Markleeville and creating a large hole under SR-89, which is the main thoroughfare for vehicular traffic.
Markleeville residents raised their concerns during a town hall meeting with the Alpine County Board of Supervisors and Caltrans on August 6, and then again during a special BOS meeting on August 10.
Facing a third summer of reduced tourism (COVID, Tamarack originally five weeks for highway repairs), businesses and residents were concerned. The only way in and out of Markleeville is via Ebbetts Pass (SR-4) or Monitor Pass (SR-89), neither of which are easy, quick ways to get into town for shopping, work, or tourism. To add insult to injury, Mono County, at the east end of Monitor Pass, had previously granted a film company a permit to film on the freeway this week, causing temporary road closures.
Caltrans
Caltrans was already working on bridges and roads in the Tamarack fire area around Markleeville and other parts of the county when the mudslide occurred. They have redirected their efforts to the section of SR-89 where a huge hole has formed under the road. The crews had already been working to replace part of the culvert and the storm spoiled their work. Full repairs were estimated to take 4-5 weeks but Caltrans will instead provide a temporary remedy in the form of an eight foot culvert over a creek bed and then rebuild the road over it. Caltrans told attendees at Wednesday’s meeting that it would do so by Aug. 22, in time for the Labor Day holiday.
Caltrans will send a daily report to the county after many have stressed the need for information and updates. By 11:00 a.m., Alpine County will update its website and send out a notification to everyone who has signed up for email.
A box culvert has yet to be installed, most likely after winter, but we’ll try to fix it before then.
Crews were able to open the old SR-89 for emergencies on Monday. The route was already used on the first day to transport a resident in need of an emergency to the hospital.
Caltrans told the community they will be back with a timeline for the bridge project on the south end of town next to the county offices.
Watch a Caltrans video of the current road situation HERE.
Cal OES
With thunderstorms and possible heavy rains forecast for the eastern Sierra, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) has strategically prepositioned critical resources, including a rapid-fire water rescue team in Alpine County. The team of 16 is made up of paramedics who provide critical community needs as well as one more foil in the event of a medical emergency. They were the ones who, along with the city’s volunteer firefighter, responded to the resident’s emergency on Monday and helped save his life from transportation.
sheriff
After Wednesday’s meeting, the Alpine County Sheriff worked on a plan to help residents easily get out of town, as many work in Douglas County and Lake Tahoe. It was announced on Thursday that the sheriff’s office will not be offering escorts for residents and county employees until August 12 through the closure. They will offer the service from 7am to 7:30am and then again from 6pm to 6:30pm. Friday. The escorts allow driving from both directions of the closure. Due to road conditions, people must be in a four-wheel drive or four-wheel drive vehicle. Proof of residency or employment is required. Vehicles may be provided for escort at either the Markleeville Road Closure off Hwy 89 (Markleeville) or the Turtle Rock Park Closure off Hwy 89 (Woodfords). If vehicles are deemed unsuitable for traveling on the emergency road, they will be turned around.
The sheriff also told residents he would be working on good signage at the east end of Monitor Pass. Drivers do not drive with Caltrans Quickmaps, which shows the road closure, and enter the city via the Monitor Pass. Local residents say drivers mistakenly rush out of town just to stir up dust.
trade
“Every day that it’s not fully open is a financial slow bleed,” said Rachel Radach, owner of Cutthroat Brewing Company of the SR-89 route between Woodfords and Markleeville.
The county’s Public Information Officer and Director of Economic Development is JT Chevallier. He had spoken to both business owners and local residents to ensure they were aware of what was available to them. Some funding sources have been set up by the Chamber of Commerce.
Radach said they will need economic recovery financial help to deal with both the temporary mud problems and in the longer term, as camping tourism will be impacted for 10 years because of the fire.
She also said her sales increase when Monitor Pass is open in the winter. The community asked Caltrans to look at ways to keep it open for a longer period of the winter, rather than automatically closing all of winter and parts of spring.
Radach was able to reopen the Cutthroat with reduced hours and a reduced menu, as did the Out West Cafe and the J. Marklee Toll House. The Markleeville General Store is also open with reduced hours.
Faith Saletti and her husband John had just purchased the Stonefly Restaurant after the Tamarack fire on October 28, 2021. The couple had owned Saletti’s in Minden, which was then sold a few years ago, with Faith working part-time at Stonefly prior to the purchase. They were at the restaurant on Wednesday, cleaning up the mud and preparing to reopen once the road is open.
Residents have been urged to reduce irrigation so water can be used to clean up downtown. The main street is very dusty and sandbags still line the streets. The outdoor Salettis were joined by neighboring Out West Cafe owner Joey Daly (also a new owner).
Daly wears several hats around town, is on the search and rescue team, a volunteer firefighter, and a member of the school board.
“Hard times don’t last, tough people do,” Daly said.
Emergency
During the meeting, the board voted unanimously to sign a resolution declaring a state of emergency for Alpine County following the August 3-4 rain event. They also decided to spend funds received from the tobacco industry to be available to anyone affected during the two-day rainstorm and any consequent needs that may have arisen afterwards.