Volunteers needed for Fernley swales cleanup event

Robert Perea, The Fernley Reporter

The Carson City office of the Bureau of Land Management, the California-Nevada Chapter of the Oregon-California Trails Association and the Fernley Rotary Club will host a National Public Lands Day event to clean up the Fernley Swales this Saturday, Sept. 26.

The Fernley Swales are the only deep sand swales on the entire California National Historic Trail. The swales are a long U-shaped dip in the landscape, made by thousands of emigrant wagons and oxen in the 1800s, including the Donner Party in 1846.

Adjacent to the trail is the original route of the transcontinental railroad which became the Nevada Highway Route 1 in 1903 and later became the Victory Highway.

The cleanup is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Cleanup groups will meet along the dirt road just past Mission Way, the road to the Veterans Cemetery, north of Terrible’s Casino and Truck Stop.

Trash bags, tools, gloves, cold water and a clean porta-potty and hand wash station will be provided. Volunteers should wear long pants, sturdy boots and long-sleeved shirts.

For more information call or email Rachel Crews at BLM (775-885-6152, rcrews@blm.gov) or Jon Nowlin at OCTA (775-883-5913, ccnvww@gmail.com).