Environmental Health

UPDATE - This meeting has been changed to 3:00 p.m. from the originally scheduled 11:00 a.m.

Now that El Dorado County has been moved to the most restrictive Tier 1 Purple starting Tuesday the Tahoe Chamber has scheduled a virtual Town Hall meeting for Friday, November 20 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Local health experts will discuss what steps need to be made to reduce cases, and what modifications local businesses need to make to stay open safely.

Featured Speakers:
Dr. Nancy Williams, El Dorado County Public Health Officer
Dr. Clint Purvance, Barton Health President and CEO

Friday evening brought thunderclaps and patchy showers to Lake Tahoe, adding to the flow of streams and rivers the following day as 40 participants collected water quality samples across Tahoe’s South Shore as part of Snapshot Day. This citizen science water quality monitoring event takes place every May and provides a moment-in-time look at the water quality and environmental health of the Tahoe-Truckee watershed.

If you live in Tahoe, the threat of fire is constantly ping-ponging around in the back of your mind – a dull nagging feeling that’s tough to pin down.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Authorities are testing water and algae in the Kiva Beach area after a man reported the death of his dog after allegedly being in Lake Tahoe behind Tallac Historic Site a week ago.

The death of the dog came to the attention of Lahontan Regional Water Quality Board late Wednesday, August 21. The following day they were joined by the El Dorado County Environmental Health Department along the stretch of beach the dog's owner said they were at the previous Sunday. They spoke with the owner and retraced their steps that day.

The League to Save Lake Tahoe today earned a 2019 Platinum Seal of Transparency, the highest level of recognition offered by GuideStar, the world’s largest source of nonprofit information. By sharing metrics that highlight progress the League is making toward its mission, the organization is helping donors move beyond simplistic ways of nonprofit evaluation such as overhead ratios.

Two South Shore casinos recently gave a donation of $10,000 to the Tahoe Rim Trail for their volunteer stewardship program.

Harrah’s and Harveys Lake Tahoe's contribution will help the Tahoe Rim Trail (TRT) achieve their goals of expanding opportunities for community members and tourists to experience nature, improve trail users’ safety, reduce negative environmental impacts, and create a desire to protect and restore Tahoe’s special places within the community.

There are still several fires burning in California but firefighters have gained the upper hand on many of them.

Ferguson Fire: The Ferguson Fire is now at 96,901 acres with 100 percent containment and 881 personnel currently engaged on the fire. During the most critical time in the fire, over 3,000 people were assigned to the incident from all over the world. There have been 2 fatalities and 19 injuries. 10 structures have been destroyed.

National Public Health Week (NPHW) is April 2–8, 2018. It is an annual event intended to raise awareness about the importance of public health in the United States. What is public health and why is it important in El Dorado County?

El Dorado County reorganized what is now Community Development Services to include directors of three primary departments, and they recently announced the hiring of two of those new directors, one for Planning & Building and the other for Environmental Management. Both men were interim directors as the departments were being reorganized and the search for director was underway.

The Lake Tahoe Basin saw continued environmental improvement over the last four years, but faces major challenges from climate change, according to a draft 2015 Threshold Evaluation Report released by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA).

The report offers a detailed assessment of the health of Lake Tahoe and its treasured natural environment as indicated by 178 threshold standards in nine categories: Air quality, water quality, soil conservation, vegetation, fisheries, wildlife, scenic resources, noise, and recreation.

The interim Douglas County Manager, Larry Werner, just signed a contract to stay on board until December, 2017.

A contract for professional services with BHC Consultants, LLC for services provided by Werner was unanimously approved by the Douglas County Commission during their public meeting on August 4, 2016.

The contract will remain the same at a fixed cost of $14,333 per month with a $700 per month car allowance.

Restoring and conserving our environment at Lake Tahoe means setting our aspirations at the right scale. That’s what TRPA and many partners are working to do through strategic initiatives to ensure the health of our basin’s forests, streams, and lake, and to improve our communities and transportation infrastructure.

Two South Lake Tahoe businesses lost almost $1,000 each this past week when scammers called them, demanding payment of an electrical bill or their power would be shut off.

In both cases, individuals claiming to represent Liberty Utilities called the businesses and demanded payment. The business owners were directed to purchase a prepaid credit card and then call them back with the card number.

Liberty Utilities representatives will not place calls to customers for payment.

6:47 p.m. - Cal Fire says containment on the Butte Fire has grown to 47 percent, with acreage burned holding at 71,780 acres.

Damage assessment shows 233 residences, 175 outbuildings and 15 other structures burned in the fire, with 6,000 additional structures still threatened.

Officials ask that area residents remain vigilant, as the fire is still active in many areas. They also ask for people to assist by calling the appropriate authorities for specific situations:

If you see trees on a highway, please call Cal-Trans at 209-948-7543.

The swimming pool at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Lake Tahoe has been shut down due to a water leak.

During a routine inspection by the Douglas County Environmental Health Department on Thursday, it was discovered that there was a possible leak at the outdoor pool according to Ray Gentry, head of security at the South Shore casino. He said they didn't know the nature, or the source, so they notified The Nevada Department of Environmental Protection (NDEP) on Thursday afternoon.

A bird found in the El Dorado Hills area of the county tested positive for West Nile Virus this week.

The bird, a Western Scrub Jay, was found on June 16 and is the first bird of the year to be found to have the virus. So far this year, West Nile virus activity has been reported in 26 California counties, including neighboring Sacramento and Placer counties.

No human cases of the virus have been reported in California thus far in 2015.

“Wouldn’t it Be Nice” to rock out as the legendary Beach Boys perform one-night only at Lake Tahoe’s MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa, March 27, 2015. Regarded one of the greatest American rock groups and an important catalyst in the evolution of popular music, The Beach Boys are one of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful bands ever. www.montbleuresort.com.

Energy saving improvements at the Lake Tahoe Community College will soon pay off financially when Liberty Utilities presents a check for $17.085.85 to the LTCC board of directors on September 9.

The check represents all of the rebates the college was eligible for after the improvements were used on campus starting in 2013.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) is currently reviewing the opening brief filed by regional plan litigants who, according to the Agency, are continuing their misinformation campaign about the updated environmental plan that is supported widely by environmental advocates, business groups, and state and local leaders.

Liberty Utilities is warning the public that individuals claiming to represent Liberty and demanding payment over the phone have been reported by its customers. Liberty Utilities representatives would not be placing calls to customers for payment. Liberty encourages customers who receive such a call to contact us at 1-800-782-2506.

After experiencing several incidents of vandalism and theft, Liberty Utilities is asking the public for help by reporting suspicious activity or crimes around electrical facilities and structures in the utility's service area, according to a news release.

The public is asked to call local law enforcement or Liberty Utilities at 1-800-782-2506 to report suspicious activity around any of these electric facilities and structures.

Earlier this month, a federal judge ruled that an expansion plan for Homewood Mountain Resort on the shores of Lake Tahoe would not be allowed to move forward without further considering a scaled-back alternative with less environmental impact. The Sierra Club, which joined with a local environmental group and Earthjustice to bring the suit against the resort, is calling the decision a victory. But so is Tahoe's regional planning agency, because, it says, at least the judge did not say the environmental review was flawed.

Visitors to recreation sites around South Lake Tahoe should to take precautions against the bubonic plague after a chipmunk found at Taylor Creek Visitor Center tested positive for the disease, the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit reports.
The California Department of Public Health has recommended the Forest Service and its concessionaire post warning signage in the area of Taylor Creek Visitor Center, the Tallac Historic Site, and Camp Richardson Resort explaining how the disease is transmitted, the symptoms and how to prevent infection. The Forest Service is advising its staff and visitors to report any sick or dead animals immediately.

El Dorado County's solid waste plan was awarded the 2012 Excellence in Environmental Health Award from the California Conference of Directors of Environmental Health.The Board of Supervisors adopte...