A recent discovery at Bowman Reservoir highlights a growing problem facing recreation areas in the Sierra Nevada. Visitors at a dispersed camping area stuffed bags of household garbage into a vault toilet, rendering the facility nearly unusable and creating an unpleasant, unsanitary cleanup for recreation crews.

For Nevada Irrigation District (NID) recreation staff, the incident is more than an isolated act of carelessness. It is part of a troubling pattern of littering, abandoned campfires, and irresponsible recreation that threatens public health, wildlife, and the forests surrounding Bowman Reservoir.

Dispersed camping, available throughout the Bowman Reservoir corridor, including near Sawmill and Faucherie reservoirs, offers visitors the opportunity to camp outside of developed campgrounds. But unlike traditional campgrounds, there are no campground hosts, janitorial services, or trash collection.

That means campers are responsible for packing out everything they bring in.

"Dispersed camping comes with added responsibility," said Monica Reyes, NID Director of Recreation. "When trash is left behind or dumped in toilets, it doesn't disappear. Someone has to clean it up, and it often affects the experience of the next visitors who come to enjoy these areas."

Trash creates more than an eyesore. Food waste attracts bears and other wildlife, increasing the likelihood of dangerous encounters. NID reminds visitors that bear boxes are designed for temporary food storage and are not garbage containers.

Another serious concern is abandoned campfires.

NID crews regularly find campfires that are still warm or smoldering after campers have left. Even a small ember can ignite nearby vegetation and quickly grow into a wildfire.

"One careless decision can have consequences far beyond a single campsite," Reyes said. "Visitors need to fully extinguish campfires, take their trash home, and leave these areas in the same condition they would want to find them."

The reminder is especially important because Bowman Reservoir sits within the Sierra Nevada headwaters, where forests and watersheds play a critical role in supplying clean water to the NID system and downstream communities.

With summer recreation season underway, NID is asking visitors to do their part: pack out trash, respect wildlife, properly extinguish campfires, and help protect one of California's most important natural resources.

The rule is simple: pack it in, pack it out.