Project Description
Green Creek Powerhouse Preserve is open to the public. Please see the “Plan Your Visit” section of this page for more information on how to access the land.
With its historic roots, stunning scenery, water resources, and critical wildlife habitat, the Green Creek Powerhouse Preserve is a remarkable place. Today, thanks to the generosity of the David and Elva Sinai Foundation and support from our community, these important values are preserved for public enjoyment for generations to come.
Located in the hills south of Bridgeport Valley, the Green Creek property was donated to Eastern Sierra Land Trust in 2013 by the Sinai Foundation.
With a long family history of charitable giving, the foundation’s goal was to place certain historic Mono County mining properties into the public domain. After David Sinai’s death, the current trustees of the Sinai Foundation, Theodore J. Schroeder and David J. Reese, decided to carry on the foundation’s tradition and donate the historic Sinai Green Creek property to ESLT.
An Important Home for Wildlife
Entirely surrounded by public lands managed by the BLM, the Green Creek Powerhouse Preserve contains a beautiful stretch of the Green Creek – making this an ideal location to spot wildlife along its banks or in nearby meadows. Species that can be seen here include mule deer, black bear, and beaver, as well as notable bird species, such as northern goshawk and sage-grouse.
The Preserve is also home to a number of ecologically-significant native plants, and is dominated by aspen groves, Jeffrey and pinion pine woodlands, and sagebrush scrub. A visit here in the fall when the aspen trees are in full color is highly recommended!
Ties to Our Region’s History
As the site of one of the earliest hydroelectric power plants in the United States, the Preserve also contains significant historic value. Operating from 1893 to 1941, the plant supplied electricity to the Bodie Mines and the mines in the Patterson district. A turn-of-the-century generator used at the plant is now on display at the Mono County Museum in Bridgeport, CA. You can still see the concrete foundation of the powerhouse on the Preserve.
Photo permissions for historic Green Creek Powerhouse images (such as those displayed below) were generously granted by the Mono County Historical Society. For more information, visit the Mono County Museum website
Plan Your Visit to Green Creek Powerhouse Preserve
Because the Green Creek Powerhouse Preserve is owned by ESLT, it is open to the public – and we encourage you to plan a trip to see this lovely streamside spot for yourself.
Please help protect the historical resources and rich diversity of plant and animal life found at the Green Creek Powerhouse Preserve by following these simple rules:
- Enjoy your visit on foot
- Motor vehicles and bicycles permitted on the access road and turnaround only, and no other vehicle use is permitted
- Pets allowed only on leash or under immediate voice control
- Horseback riding prohibited
- Camping is permitted, but fires are prohibited
- Pack out all trash
- No hunting or shooting
The 40-acre Green Creek Powerhouse Preserve maintains a vital riparian corridor and important wildlife habitat. Entirely surrounded by public lands, it is home to diverse native plants, including aspen groves, Jeffrey and pinyon pines, desert peach, and sagebrush scrub.
