TEXTILES.ORG
By James Chinchiolo
The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) recognized recipients of the 2010 Best in the Basin Awards during its Feb. 23 meeting at the North Tahoe Event Center in Kings Beach, Calif.
This project was recognized with a Best of the Basin award in the Residential Modification/Shorezone category.
The 21st annual TRPA Best in the Basin awards program recognized projects demonstrating exceptional planning, design, and compatibility with the Lake Tahoe environment. Local professionals in the fields of landscaping, planning, engineering, water quality, and resource management judged each category.
The award description: “The Houghton-Berry property is located atop a steep bluff in Rubicon Bay where the shoreline [had sustained] highly eroded banks and severe undercutting. The design challenge was to protect the site from further erosion and loss of pine trees while maintaining the aesthetic character of the area. Rather than proceed with conventional, mechanical erosion control methods, the owners incorporated the latest technology to complete a sustainable restoration project.
“Soil nails were launched into the hillside, followed by application of a webbing layer. That layer was then covered by jute material where planting pockets were incorporated to ensure revegatation would take hold. The entire bank utilized mostly indigenous boulders from the site and native plantings selected for the Rubicon micro-climate.
“The result is a model for future bank stabilization and erosion control projects.”