area, from the lake bottom to the top of Peak, and including the lake water itself, is considered sacred and healing. This reverence is shared by many – from the families that have long TENAYA visited the lake and continue to make annual pilgrimages to its shores to the first-time Yosemite LAKE’S visitors who discover a new favorite spot. EAST BEACH The Service is committed to being excellent stewards of this High Sierra gem and has taken proactive steps to address the signs of wear and tear that popular attractions inevitably endure. of lakeside vegetation, fragmented RESTORATION EFFORTS UNDERWAY TO wetlands, parking congestion and unclear PROTECT LAKE’S INTEGRITY AND BEAUTY pedestrian paths are some of the most pressing issues that the park service is addressing in the By Gretchen Stromberg, Landscape Architect, Restoration Plan. The Restoration and Susan Olmsted, Plan has been developed over the last three years to Landscape Architect, Senior Associate Mithūn. identify and address these issues and design ways in which the area may be enjoyed sustainably for osemite National Park visitors driving Tioga generations for come. The goal is to design YRoad, eastward or westward, are hard-pressed infrastructure that over time will protect the lake’s not to be struck by the sparkling waters of Tenaya integrity and beauty. Lake between and . For travelers heading east, the sight of The and the design team the lake marks the arrival to the high country. For looked holistically at all the factors surround- westward voyagers, the lake provides a glimpse of ing the entire lake basin, from wind patterns and the topographic transition between the High water quality, to plant communities and wildlife Sierras and Yosemite below. The lake corridors. Travel routes and patterns, by foot and invokes a sense of arrival, a subtle pause, a deep vehicle, were studied, sensitive wetlands, and rare breath. This unique experience is shared by many, plants and archeological sites were identified. Most and for years Tenaya Lake has quietly captivated importantly, throughout the process of developing and comforted its visitors. the lakewide plan, the design team listened— they

At 8,150 feet in Yosemite’s high country, Tenaya ...... Lake is surrounded by granite domes and, perhaps, ARTIST RENDERING OF PROPOSED ACCESS AREA is more fittingly described by its American Indian name of Pie-we-ack, “lake of the shining rocks.” Long accessed by people traversing the Sierras, its present proximity to Tioga Road speaks of the lake’s significance to American Indians as a resting point along their trade route across the Sierras, and later to dusty travelers along the . To the tribes long acquainted with the lake, the Paiute to the east and the Southern Sierra to the west, the entire RIGHT Mithun

ABOVE Visitors to the shores of Tenaya Lake’s East Beach will appreciate why the earliest inhabitants named the beautiful landscape the “lake of the shining rocks.”

listened to the stories of how Tenaya is loved by parking area at each end of the lake. This current many, and how it should be restored and protected. configuration encourages spontaneous roadside parking, triggering a pattern where people walk The team found that one of the most important straight from the roadside down to the lake, restoration challenges was to alleviate the con- denuding vegetation and causing erosion along the verging pressures of diverse influences on localized shoreline. Improved infrastructure will help sites throughout the lake area. Surrounded by eliminate this pattern. New signage will alert extensive lodgepole forests and sculptural drivers to their imminent arrival at Tenaya Lake granite domes that plunge dramatically into its and to the availability of structured parking areas shimmering waters, the Tenaya Lake Area also and trailheads. Clearly marked parking areas will includes fragile shoreline, wetland, and meadow help visitors to park efficiently, optimizing paved habitats ideal for flora, fauna, and humans alike. surfaces and reducing the dispersed impacts of Today as in the past, these sensitive areas remain overflow parking and roadside parking throughout popular visitor destinations, and as such, require the lake area. In addition, improved sustainable thoughtful consideration in order to protect stormwater management strategies at parking areas resources while maintaining access to meaningful, utilizing buffer zones of specifically designed soil immersive experiences. profiles and plants will intercept runoff and filter potential pollutants prior to releasing the water back Thoughtful consideration and design can protect to the watershed. Thus, the improved organization and restore resources at Tenaya Lake through im- of visitor infrastructure provides the opportunity to proved infrastructure, such as signage, parking improve human influences. areas, picnic areas, and . Consolidating visitor impacts to designated locations makes it Similarly, new access trails will help protect possible to buffer those impacts from the rest of resources like the areas many wetlands. the environment. For example, drivers along Providing structured routes for people to move Tioga Road arrive at the lake suddenly; by the time through sensitive areas, bridging over wetlands they see its’ stunning waters and know they’ve to protect resources and preserve hydrologic flow, arrived, they’ve already passed the designated before terminating at the more resilient beach or ...... Lake. Tenayaof shores sacred the rediscover and breath, visitors new and veteran alike to pause, take a deep encourage will changes implemented,these is plan beauty and vitality. Over the next five years, as the its by restored feel can turn, in visitors, of ations Tenayathe futuregenerLakethatthrives,Area so that ensure will restoration Ultimately, natural systems. dynamic of patterns and flows the with existingthe with rugged merging landscape, the character to subordinate be to of the lakeone intended andnext are cooperating the interventions Design over years. hundred attention human to resilient is lake the that way a such in enjoyment visitor for Plan is to make necessary design changes to provide Theoverarching goal of the Tenaya Lake Restoration and alongshorelines. wetlands to adjacent conditions ‘edge’ fortify and boundaries, vegetated bolster Beach, East the at wetland fragmented a reconnect will plan toration visitor of some ofthemostheavily impacted areas. The res restore to opportunity restructuring the provides and infrastructure reorganization Most importantly, in addition to protecting resources, trails. respecting sensitive areas by staying on established and protecting of importance the as well as them, and available to experiences of range the about visitors way-finding educate help new can trailheads at panels interpretive addition, In visitors. of range wider a for exploration and discovery for opportunities welcoming provide will accessible walkways Wheelchair immersive, experiences. more continuous providing while trails social trails around the lake can reduce erosion caused by of connectivity Improved areas. monolith granite Visit www.yosemiteconservancy.org/donate irreplacable treasure. can play avital role inprotecting this Tenaya Lake by makingadonation today. You Support theeffort to restore theEast Beach of - - ...... Tenaya Lake’s East Beachandthevisitor experience. Credit Mithūn. ABOVE This project addresses environmental impacts ofvisitation at