LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) is reminding residents, property owners, and project managers that the grading and digging season for permitted projects in the Lake Tahoe Basin begins May 1.
Grading and digging work are confined to drier months to protect Lake Tahoe’s famed water clarity. Sources of erosion and sediment are among the main contributors to the loss of lake clarity. Through the commitment of property owners and public agencies, Best Management Practices (BMPs) retrofits and meadow restoration and water quality improvement projects are keeping more than 500,000 pounds of sediment out of the lake every year and lake clarity has stabilized.
Working in dry conditions prevents soil compaction and stops loose soil and mud from washing away from project sites or into roadways, storm drains, waterways, and the lake. During the May 1 through October 15 grading season, soil work can proceed in dry conditions, but is prohibited when a project area is covered with snow, during periods of precipitation, and when ground is saturated, muddy, or unstable.
Although all grading is prohibited in wet conditions, not all digging requires a permit. More information is available at trpa.gov/applications-forms under Grading.