Meadow restoration at Round Valley will begin in mid-August 2026. This project will use low-tech process-based restoration (LTPBR) methods such as building beaver dam analogs (BDAs) and post-assisted log structures (PALS) to remedy incised and degraded channels within the meadow. All work will be done by hand using hand tools, including chainsaws which may be heard from hiking trails around Castle and Round Valley. The trees being cut are encroaching conifers from within and on the perimeter of the meadow and will be used as building material for the BDAs and PALS.

Implementation is expected to last about two weeks during August of 2026 with additional rounds of restoration expected in summers of 2027 and 2028.

Round Valley is nestled under the towering Castle and Basin Peaks and is home to a population of the federally endangered and CA state threatened Sierra Nevada Yellow-Legged Frogs (SNYLF), which utilize the meadow during all stages of life. In 2020, following the discovery of the Round Valley population by the Tahoe National Forest, the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) was rerouted, and a bridge was constructed so hikers could avoid the streambed where SNYLF had been observed. The restoration efforts at Round Valley aim to improve habitat features for SNYLF, such as deeper pools that persist longer throughout the year with a variety of water temperatures to support the relatively small population in their various life stages. The project will restore hydrologic function within the meadow by slowing and spreading water to increase groundwater storage and reduce streamflow speed, ultimately creating climate resilient habitat that will benefit SNYLF.

Restoration of Round Valley is possible thanks to funding from the Wildlife Conservation Board Block Grant being administered by Point Blue Conservation Science and the Sierra Meadows Partnership (SMP) that supported the planning phase of The Castle Valley and Round Valley Meadow Restoration Project. Early implementation efforts have been funded through mitigation funds, made available through partnerships with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.