clarity

Partnership and collaboration crucial to solving Tahoe’s problems

History shows time and time again our greatest accomplishments at Lake Tahoe are achieved when people work together. In the past, Tahoe was known as a place where unproductive interactions between stakeholders led to a stunning decay in our environment and our economic vitality, creating a region that seemed frozen in time.

We face major environmental challenges at Tahoe, including the uncertainties of climate change. And as Albert Einstein said, “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”

Congress Introduces Lake Tahoe Restoration Act

This week, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency voiced its strong support for legislation to reauthorize the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act that has been introduced in Congress by Tahoe’s Senate delegation.

Sponsored by U.S. Senator Dean Heller (R-Nevada) along with Harry Reid (D-Nevada), Dianne Feinstein (D-California), and Barbara Boxer (D-California), the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act would authorize up to $415 million in federal funding over 10 years to help continue critical environmental restoration work at Lake Tahoe.

Wrap up of South Lake Tahoe holiday rules about fire, alcohol and fireworks

It may seem like lyrics from the Five Man Electrical Band: Sign, sign, everywhere a sign; Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind' Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign?

Everyone wants to enjoy the South Lake Tahoe area on the 4th of July holiday weekend. In order to keep everyone safe there are rules and regulations in place to do so.

1. Portable Charcoal Grills Prohibited on All Forest Service Beaches. You can use the limited number of Forest Service provided grills.
2. Campfires are not permitted on National Forest beaches or in the general forest.

Years of water conservation have helped South Lake Tahoe

As one can imagine, Donielle Morse has been very busy lately. As the Water Conservationist specialist for the South Tahoe Public Utility District (STPUD), Morse spends her days informing, teaching and keeping up on the new state water mandates.

Drought or no drought, water conservation is necessary and its the reason South Lake Tahoe is faring better than most communities in the West. Since 2007, local water users have cut back 27% of their annual water usage.

Annual Keep Tahoe Red, White, and Blue Beach Cleanups

Event Date: 
July 5, 2015 - 8:30am

After the July 4th festivities, our beaches are thrashed with trash. This trash can hurt wildlife and lake clarity. Be a part of the solution and help us this day to keep our beaches clean.

We will provide refreshments, cleanup bags, gloves, and hand sanitizer. Please bring your reusable water bottle, gloves if you have them, sunscreen, your friends and family, and a smile!

Each attendee will receive a raffle ticket for great prizes from Keep Tahoe Blue and our partners.

Join us at one of the following sites:

Kiva/Tallac Historic Site - South Shore Sponsored by BakPocket Products

Post fireworks beach clean up planned on the South Shore

Locals and visitors can join #teamfireworks, a large effort to remove all debris from South Lake Tahoe's beaches following both the 4th of July and Labor Day fireworks shows.

Over 100,000 people enjoy the fireworks and anytime an area gets that many people, trash is sure to be an issue. Last year's beach clean was originally meant to make sure the debris from the actual fireworks was not left floating on the water or strewn along the beach. While not many parts of fireworks were found, hundreds of pounds of trash was collected.

League to Save Lake Tahoe summer party to highlight new education center

Event Date: 
June 19, 2015 - 5:00pm

The public is invited to the League to Save Lake Tahoe's free Summer Kickoff party at the League to Save Lake Tahoe in South Lake Tahoe on Friday, June 10 at 5:00 p.m. Music, food, fun, prizes and education will all be part of the evening's activities.

The party will feature the grand re-opening of their Fritzi & David Huntington Environmental Education Center. Featuring cutting-edge interactive displays, the Education Center’s overhaul has improved the agency's ability to educate and engage the public about how to protect Lake Tahoe and the threats facing the Lake.

Location

League to Save Lake Tahoe
2608 Lake Tahoe Blvd
United States

Op/Ed: Invasive Species Harm Ecosystem

In South Lake Tahoe every year, many new species are brought in and out of the Lake. While some locals have boats, only some use them in other lakes. The city of South Lake Tahoe regulates wildlife brought in and out of the basin and lake by requiring boats to get inspected, but neglects the need to educate the future community about the harmful animals that can be brought into the lake. These are the new workers and people that will be living and giving to the community.

While Lake Clarity Results Are Positive, New Challenges Loom

The University of California, Davis and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency recently released their yearly water clarity readings for Lake Tahoe. The good news: Mid-lake water clarity improved significantly in 2014, with an average reading of 77.8 feet. That’s 7.5 feet greater than the average reading for 2013, and almost 14 feet greater than the 64.1 feet measured in 1997, Lake Tahoe’s lowest recorded clarity.

Lake Tahoe's water clarity at best in over a decade

Clarity levels at Lake Tahoe in 2014 showed the biggest improvements in more than a decade, according to researchers at the University of California, Davis, who have studied the lake for the last half century.

The improvements are in part due to continuous work from the Lake Tahoe community to lower pollutants to the lake. They were also influenced by the drought, as reduced precipitation meant fewer contaminants flowed into Lake Tahoe, particularly during the summer, when clarity levels were the highest recorded since 2002.

Project Baseline: Lake Tahoe - Why New Millennium Divers became Citizen Scientists

Let us start with a common interactive scenario for Lake Tahoe:

40 years ago a family came to Lake Tahoe, walked to the water’s edge of a very full lake (on that day in 1975, Tahoe’s surface elevation was at 6228 feet), and said, “What a beautiful lake! Look how clear it is!” and they spent the rest of their vacation not knowing the environmental direction that Tahoe was heading.

Reid's retirement – bad news for Lake Tahoe and Nevada

The following is an opinion article from the Reno Gazette Journal and reprinted here:

It doesn't matter if you love or hate Democratic Sen. Harry Reid to agree that the announcement of his retirement just dramatically reduced our state's political power in Washington D.C.

Nevada will go from a state whose issues were often at the center of debate because of Reid's position as minority leader to a state without a congressional power player in either party.

New LTCC Class Will Provide Job Skills to Help Protect Lake Tahoe

The League to Save Lake Tahoe and Lake Tahoe Community College are offering a course, “Water Quality Monitoring of Streams and Lakes (GEG 107),” to provide students skills applicable for entry level field, environment and science technician job duties with Tahoe resource agencies.

TRPA accepting Lake Spirit Award nominations

Tahoe Regional Planning Agency is accepting nominations for Lake Spirit Awards to honor real people making real progress protecting Lake Tahoe. Members of the public are encouraged to nominate exemplary members of the community who are going above and beyond the call of duty to protect the beauty and clarity of the Lake.

Transportation is Key in Restoring Lake Tahoe, Revitalizing Communities

There’s a lot to be learned by studying others’ successes. At the Tahoe Talks Brown Bag Lunch this February, a design engineer for the Federal Highway Administration discussed how modern roundabouts are being used to improve traffic and make roads safer for drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians, as well as where they would make the most sense at Lake Tahoe.

Scientists: Tiny Tahoe creatures dying at alarming rate

A first-of-its-kind circuit by scuba divers around Lake Tahoe is complete. Now, experts are seeking to understand worrying changes on the bottom of the landmark alpine lake.

Members of the scuba team that 13 years ago reached the wreck of a famous steamer sunk in Tahoe's frigid depths completed the first circumnavigation of the lake by divers in October. Scientists are examining the data collected to understand why some of the lake's tiniest bottom dwellers and the plants they depend on appear to be disappearing at an alarming rate.

Op/Ed: Working Together for Common Solutions

As the incoming Chair of the 15-member Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board, this promises to be a hopeful and exciting year. 2015 will be full of opportunities, but also challenges, for the continued protection of Lake Tahoe.

The number one priority among our challenges is funding shortfalls. Federal and state funding that has paid for environmental restoration and protection efforts at Lake Tahoe for years is drying up and new approaches need to be pursued.

Op/Ed: US Forest Service Supervisor handing over the reins

The New Year brings big changes both for me personally and for the Forest Service in Lake Tahoe. After 37 years with the agency, I’m looking forward to retirement and handing over the reins at the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit to a new Forest Supervisor.

I’m grateful for steady Basin leadership that has enhanced relationships making them stronger. Days of past tensions between conflicting interests have passed. Today, local agencies work closely together on solutions that protect our communities and our environment.

Bi-State Compact to Preserve Lake Tahoe Turns 45 Years Old

The partnership between California and Nevada that created the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency turns 45 years old today, marking nearly a half-century of progress in the protection and restoration of Lake Tahoe and its treasured environment.

President Richard Nixon signed the Bi-State Compact creating TRPA on Thursday, December 18, 1969. Nixon’s signature followed the compact’s ratification by Congress and its approval by both states’ legislatures and former governors Ronald Reagan in California and Paul Laxalt in Nevada.

Road sand found to be prime pollutant of Lake Tahoe

There have been many environmental efforts to help keep Lake Tahoe blue over the last few decades, from stormwater treatments to the banning of two stroke engines. It's long been known that road runoff is the last remaining big culprit.

Get money for replacing your old woodburning stoves

With the onset of cooler temperatures, Lake Tahoe homeowners are encouraged to take advantage of rebates the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and partner jurisdictions are offering to help people replace older, heavily polluting wood burning stoves and fireplaces.

At Tahoe and Across the Country, Epic Collaboration is Key

As the keynote speaker at last month’s National Workshop on Large Landscape Conservation in Washington, D.C., U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Sally Jewell emphasized the central role collaboration must play for America to protect its natural resources, balance economic needs, and address emerging environmental challenges such as climate change.

“We are moving into an era of epic collaboration,” Jewell said, explaining that regional partnerships across jurisdictional boundaries are more important than ever for the federal department that manages 20 percent of our nation’s land.

State Route 28 in Lake Tahoe to receive $12.5 million in improvements

State Route 28 on the East Shore of Lake Tahoe from Incline Village to the intersection with Highway 50 is set to receive $12.5 million in improvements.

The Washoe County Commissioners approved a Federal Lands Access Program Memorandum of Agreement for federal funding for the design and construction of the improvements.

Completion of Bijou Erosion Project celebrated in South Lake Tahoe

If you've driven through the Bijou area of South Lake Tahoe over the last couple of years you know that it's been undergoing a major stormwater treatment transformation with the replacement of pipes and the addition of water treatment chambers.

The City of South Lake Tahoe held a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, celebrating the near completion of the project which is treating stormwater runoff from 42 acres within the Bijou Commercial Core area, preventing 21,000 pounds of fine sediment particles from reaching Lake Tahoe each year.

New interactive science exhibit coming to Lake Tahoe

The Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded $150,000 to the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) to create a new, interactive public exhibit at the Tahoe Science Center, located in Incline Village. The exhibit will merge the results of citizen science with TERC’s new, real-time monitoring network that is being installed around the lake to understand and improve the clarity and health of Lake Tahoe’s shoreline.

Volunteers complete Tahoe Keys storm drain marking; More help needed

Volunteers have completed marking all the storm drains in the Tahoe Keys neighborhood and marina with metal “No Dumping — Keep Tahoe Blue” signs. Over 40 volunteers with the League to Save Lake Tahoe’s Stewards of Stormwater program marked 180 drains over several days in August and September, making it the first neighborhood at Tahoe to mark all its drains.

Barton’s Medical Imaging Earns ACR Accreditation and Gold Seal of Approval

The Medical Imaging Department at Barton Health has been awarded a three year term of accreditation by the American College of Radiology as well as the Gold Seal.

“Our radiology staff and facilities have endured a rigorous review process to confirm our medical excellence,” says Tom Davis, Barton’s director of Medical Imaging. “We are very fortunate to have a team of radiologists and staff who are both state and nationally certified and among the most elite in their field.”

Agencies and public work together to keep Lake Tahoe beaches clean

The Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority would like to thank all of our community members, visitors, businesses and agencies who have helped keep our Lake Tahoe beaches clean throughout a busy summer season. Debris on Lake Tahoe’s beaches affects everyone’s enjoyment of the lake, and trash and debris on the beaches and streets can easily find its way to the lake and adversely impact lake clarity, water quality and wildlife.

League seeks volunteers to mark storm drains

Event Date: 
August 27, 2014 - 6:00pm

Looking for a project you can help out with that makes a different? If so, the second Stewards of Stormwater event might be for you.

The League to Save Lake Tahoe is inviting community members to help mark storm drains and prevent pollution from entering Lake Tahoe on August 27 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Tahoe Keys.

The League is hosting the event in partnership with the City of South Lake Tahoe and the Tahoe Keys Property Owners Association.

Location

Venice Dr. and Emerald Dr. at the Tennis Courts in Tahoe Keys
United States

"Best Tasting Water in Nevada" awarded to Douglas County Utilities

In case you weren't aware, there is a contest in Nevada to determine the best tasting water in the state by judging bouquet, clarity and taste.

This year, after blind tastings and examinations, Douglas County Utilities was the coveted water award during the 2014 Nevada Rural Water Association Training and Technical Conference at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno.

State of the Lake 2014 report released; Expect longer summers in Lake Tahoe

By the end of the century Lake Tahoe summers may be two months longer than they were in the 1960s and the maximum temperatures may have risen by 8 degrees F. Those were part of the predictions released in the State of the Lake 2014 report.

Data collected over the last 50 years, combined with the monitoring of Lake Tahoe during the 12 months of 2013, was presented at Thursday's unveiling of the report at the Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences (TERC) in Incline Village by Director Geoff Schladow.

State of the Lake Address held in North Lake Tahoe August 14th

Event Date: 
August 14, 2014 (All day)

Find out how healthy the lake is at the annual State of the Lake Address at the Tahoe Environmental Center in Incline Village on August 14.

Dr. Geoff Schladow will report on how the quality of Lake Tahoe's water has changed as well as examining the long term trends that affect clarity. Schladow is the founding director of TERC and an expert in the areas of environmental fluid mechanics, water quality modeling, and the dynamics of inland waters.

Bijou Area Erosion Control Project providing environmental and appearance improvements

A unanimous vote by the South Lake Tahoe City Council on Tuesday paved the way for the formation of a Community Facilities District (CFD) in the Bijou area which will have a major impact on Lake Tahoe's water quality.

The $18M water project improvements include replacement of the failing Bijou Creek storm drainage culvert and construction of a regional storm water treatment system for the 42-acre Bijou commercial core project area. It will provide a third of the pollutant load reduction in the City's municipal stormwater system.

4th of July Fireworks; A Source of Pride for Tahoe South

This year’s Independence and Labor Day fireworks display challenge has proved that Tahoe South is a team. As in other situations I recall over the years, we come together in times of crisis and demonstrate that we care deeply about this special place we call home. This summer, we as a community are forming a new team – Team Fireworks – and every member counts.

You Can Adopt a Beach in Lake Tahoe!

Looking for an enjoyable way to contribute to the Lake Tahoe community, either as a local or as a visitor?

Adopt-a-Beach is one of the nicest and easiest ways to protect this valuable and beautiful treasure and they're looking for several volunteers to help this summer. This program is sponsored by the City of South Lake Tahoe, Lake Tahoe Visitor's Authority, U.S. Forest Service, League to Save Lake Tahoe, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and South Tahoe Refuse.

Dedication for Latest Phase of Stateline to Stateline Bike Path

Event Date: 
June 19, 2014 - 12:00pm

The official dedication of South Lake Tahoe's 1.2-mile shared-use bike path that connects Elks Point and Round Hill Pines and provides access to Rabe Meadow with Nevada Beach and Round Hill Pines Resort will be held on Thursday, June 19 at 12 p.m.

The second segment of the Stateline-to-Stateline Bikeway, South Shore Demonstration Project adds to the existing path for a total of 2.2 miles. Meanwhile, the North Demonstration Project is expected to begin construction in 2015 and the first phase will connect Incline Village to Sand Harbor State Park.

Sand Harbor Shuttle Service in Place for Summer

There is a park and ride system for Sand Harbor in place once again for the summer of 2014.

In it's third year, the Tahoe Transportation District’s East Shore Express, the shuttle bus provides rides Incline Village to Sand Harbor. They are able to do so with a federal grant and funds gathered from the selling of Lake Tahoe License Plates.

Get your East Shore Express map.

Adopt-A-Beach Program in South Lake Tahoe

Event Date: 
May 28, 2014 - 5:00pm

“Caring is Cool - Lake Tahoe’s clarity starts with you, and there are a number of ways to help!”

That is the 2014 Beach Clean Up theme developed through joint efforts of the City of South Lake Tahoe, Lake Tahoe Visitor's Authority, Douglas County and the U.S. Forest Service Basin Management Unit.

Local agencies are partnering to launch an “Adopt-a-Beach-Tahoe” program that will coordinate regular beach clean up dates around Lake Tahoe from June 15 to September 15.

Op/Ed: Is Tahoe Environmental Protection Killing the Desert Tortoise?

The recent standoff at the last remaining ranch in Clark County, NV has been widely attributed to environmental protection around the endangered desert tortoise; with the right wing trying to pin the blame on Nevada Senator Harry Reid for his support of the recent Ivanpah solar plant which, generates 392 MW which powers Google servers (See Dana Loesch Radio for an example of the kind of coverage it gets http://danaloeschradio.com/the-real-story-of-the-bundy-ranch/ and http://mediamatters.org/blog/2014/04/11/the-nevada-tortoise-war-is-a-right-wing-false-f/198860 for a Media Matters article deb

Tahoe Regional Plan Upheld in Court; Sierra Club and Friends of the West Shore Lawsuit Struck Down

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and League to Save Lake Tahoe are joining other local groups and individuals in applauding the decision today in Federal Court to uphold the Lake Tahoe Regional Plan. U.S. District Court Judge John Mendez found that the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency acted properly in its Dec. 12, 2012 approval of an updated regional plan for the Tahoe Basin.

These Tahoe Regional Plan will guide all aspects of land management, development and planning in the Tahoe Basin for the next 20 years.

Opinion: Lawsuits Are Not The Answer To Fireworks Debris

As we all know, the economy and our environment are fundamentally intertwined. If we ever doubted the connection, those doubts should have been erased through the impacts of the Great Recession on our local economy. We need revenue from tourism to sustain our economy, which in turn helps to fund environmental projects that protect the natural beauty, which draws millions of visitors every year. We cannot have a thriving economy without protecting the environment and we cannot have a beautiful natural environment without money to protect and properly sustain it.

South Lake Tahoe Fireworks Show May Be Canceled Due To Lawsuit

A lawsuit brought against the Lake Tahoe Visitor's Authority (LTVA) and Pyro Spectaculars may put an end to the decades old 4th of July fireworks tradition in South Lake Tahoe.

Lake Tahoe Loses 5 Feet of Clarity in 2013; Winter Waters Clearer, Summer's Declining

Clarity levels within the iconic blue waters of Lake Tahoe continued a decadelong trend of stabilization in 2013, according to University of California, Davis, scientists who study the lake.

Data released today by the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC)and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency reported the average annual clarity level for 2013 at 70.1 feet. While the reading represents a 5 foot decrease over the previous year, it is still well above the lowest value recorded in 1997 of 64.1 feet and above recent years' averages.

Regional Storm Water Monitoring Program Moves Forward

With support from California Proposition 84 stormwater grant funds, the Tahoe Resource Conservation District (Tahoe RCD) is leading the effort to measure pollutants in urban runoff at Lake Tahoe to help evaluate the combined effectiveness of pollutant control measures and consistently track and report monitoring findings. This effort, known as the Regional Storm Water Monitoring Program (RSWMP) is a collaborative program supported by regulatory agencies, local government representatives, and scientists in the Lake Tahoe region.

Working Each Day to Keep Tahoe Blue: Limnologist Katie Webb Explains the Threats Facing the Unique Ecology of Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe is one of California’s greatest natural treasures. It is a beauty to behold, with forested mountains surrounding the deep blue shimmering surface. It is famous for many recreational activities- snowboarding, skiing, hiking, mountain biking, boating, fishing, and sunbathing. But the clear blue waters of Tahoe are in trouble. Invasive species, climate change, and sedimentation all threaten the unique ecosystems of the lake.

TRPA Applauds Senate Move on Lake Tahoe Restoration Bill

A measure to advance environmental restoration and forest management activities in the Lake Tahoe Basin yesterday passed out of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. The legislation would reauthorize the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act, originally passed in 2000, which has helped advance one of the most comprehensive watershed restoration programs in the nation-the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program, or EIP.

Lake Tahoe Tourism Officials Denounce Fireworks Lawsuit

With Tahoe South’s two annual fireworks celebrations meeting all state and federal standards throughout their 30-year history, area tourism officials strongly denounced a lawsuit that could threaten the annual July Fourth and Labor Day events as totally unnecessary.

In November, Joseph and Joan Truxler, of Zephyr Cove, Nev., filed a federal lawsuit against the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority and Pyro Spectaculars North alleging the twice-annual fireworks shows violated the Clean Water Act.

Lake Spirit Awards Given by Tahoe Regional Planning Agency

Eight individuals who display strong personal commitment to protecting and restoring Lake Tahoe were recognized today by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) during the third annual Lake Spirit Awards ceremony at the Agency’s Governing Board meeting in Stateline.

TRPA Approves the South Lake Tahoe Tourist Core Area Plan

The City of South Lake Tahoe's vision to recreate a community that encourages revitalizing commercial and residential areas got one step closer today with the TRPA's adoption of the South Lake Tahoe Tourist Core Area Plan. The area involved is the Highway 50 corridor from Fairway Ave at Bijou, up and down Ski Run Boulevard, and up to the Stateline.

Outdated development and pollution in the core of South Lake Tahoe could be on their way out with the adoption today of the City of South Lake Tahoe Tourist Core Area Plan by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) Governing Board.

Free Lake Tahoe Ski Resort Lift Tickets When You Get Special License Plate

With ski resorts busy preparing for the winter season ahead, now is the time to start planning your time on the slopes! "Plates for Powder" is the successful promotion run by the Tahoe Fund to increase sales of the Lake Tahoe license plates.

Individuals who purchase the specialty Lake Tahoe license plate in either Nevada or California prior to April 1, 2014 will receive two lift tickets to their choice of 11 Lake Tahoe resorts.

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