Lahontan Water Board approves Lake Tahoe pollutant load reduction plans

The Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board has accepted Pollutant Load Reduction Plans submitted by El Dorado County, Placer County, and the city of South Lake Tahoe which will reduce fine sediment discharges into Lake Tahoe.

Storm water runoff from urban areas contributes the majority of the fine sediment particles that cloud Lake Tahoe’s famed clarity. The Lake Tahoe Municipal Storm Water Permit requires the three local government agencies to reduce the fine sediment from urban storm water flows by roughly 30 percent over the next 15 years, setting targets of a 10 percent reduction for each five-year permit term. The plans describe how each municipality will reduce fine sediment discharges by the required 10 percent by 2016. Water Board staff brought the plans before the Regional Water Board at its regular meeting on July 19.

“These Pollutant Load Reduction Plans represent an important step on the road to restoring Lake Tahoe’s clarity” said Peter Pumphrey, chair of the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board.

“Our partnership with local government agencies in the Tahoe area remains strong, and we are committed to working together to meet our Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) goals and continue improving water quality at Lake Tahoe.”

The plans include evaluating the benefits of water quality improvement projects constructed within the past five years, implementing new projects, and enhancing roadway operation and maintenance practices. Numeric modeling tools provide detailed estimates of water quality benefit to support local government’s planning effort and provide assurance that implementation will achieve TMDL requirements.

For more information on the Pollutant Load Reduction Plans, go here.

The Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board’s mission is to preserve, protect, enhance and restore the quality of California's water resources, and ensure their proper allocation and efficient use for the benefit of present and future generations. Go here for more information.