Clean Up The Lake has ambitious dive schedule for Lake Tahoe and other areas of the Sierra in 2023

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. - Clean Up the Lake (CUTL) completed a successful 72-mile clean-up of Lake Tahoe in 2022, and plans to return this year as well as dives at Fallen Leaf Lake, Echo Lake, Boca and Stampede Reservoirs in Truckee, California, and four different lakes in Mono County and the Mammoth Lakes Basin.

The non-profit organization is committed to fighting back against plastic and all forms of pollution both above and below the surface of its local waterways.

The CUTL dive team is already back in the water in Lake Tahoe, with plans to revisit 40 different dive sites around the lake in 2023. Three separate Tahoe-based projects will take place, focused on deep-dive litter accumulation studies at 35 and 70 feet and also looking into “terrain traps,” or how the lake’s bathymetry, wind, currents, and recreation affect litter accumulation trends throughout Lake Tahoe.

“The projects we are doing in Lake Tahoe this year are building on what we’ve already accomplished and will help us better understand freshwater litter accumulation while guiding future work both here in Lake Tahoe and other freshwater lakes in need of our efforts,” said Colin West, founder and executive director of Clean Up The Lake. “We’re also really excited to launch the Youth Education Program in collaboration with the Pay It Forward Project. This new initiative will work to engage and educate young people in the Reno-Tahoe community on the importance of environmental conservation.”

This year, CUTL will complete the circumnavigated clean-up of Fallen Leaf Lake that started in 2022 and produced some of the highest underwater litter totals in the Tahoe Basin. The organization will also launch pilot research on Boca and Stampede Reservoirs in Truckee and Echo Lake near South Lake Tahoe, and return to Mono County and the Mammoth Lakes Basin to execute various projects on four different lakes.

Throughout their work in 2023, the team will also be implementing an extensive invasive species surveillance program they have developed; surveys have already been conducted around Donner Lake, June Lake, and half of Fallen Leaf Lake’s circumference.

Last year, CUTL's 72-mile clean-up effort in Lake Tahoe resulted in the removal of 25,282 pounds of small litter from the lake, while also GPS identifying 485 heavy lift objects slotted for future removal. This effort was just the beginning, as CUTL dive teams also removed an additional 25,000 pounds of debris from seven smaller lakes. One such lake was Donner Lake, where after their work this last year, over 13,000 pounds of litter has been removed. With the support of various partnerships including Visit Mammoth, the organization was also able to expand its reach in the High Sierra in and around Mammoth Lakes.

More info about CUTL’s projects:

1) 72-Mile Clean Up: A full circumnavigated SCUBA cleanup of the 72-mile circumference of Lake Tahoe. This project was funded by Tahoe Blue Vodka, the Tahoe Fund, Nevada Division of State Lands LTLP, Vail Resorts, Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation & Martis Fund via the Nature Fund, American Century Championship, and Tahoe Mountain Resorts Foundation. The team removed 25,281 pounds of small litter.

2) Donner Lake Monitoring: This was a second circumnavigation of Donner Lake with the conservation dive teams at CUTL, focusing on the changes that occurred since the initial cleanup two years prior, while also doing invasive species surveys. This project was funded by the Martis Fund, Tahoe Mountain Resorts Foundation, Town of Truckee, Truckee Tahoe Lumber Company, and the Lahontan Community Foundation Fund held at the Parasol Tahoe Community Foundation. Dive teams removed over 7593 pounds of small litter.

3) Fallen Leaf Lake: This project was based on 2021 pilot research identifying the need for a full circumnavigated cleanup. The first 60% of the lake was completed, pulling out over 7900 pounds of litter. This project was funded by TIFS Spiked and Bluezone Sports, with additional GoFundMe donors.

4) Mammoth Lakes & June Lake Cleanup: This project resulted in the complete circumnavigated cleanup of June Lake while also conducting pilot research on Lake George, Lake Mary, Twin Lakes, and Lake Mamie. This project was funded by partners including Visit Mammoth, Mono County Govt, and Mammoth Lakes Recreation.

CUTL has also brought on board a Youth Programs coordinator and is working to do further classroom work and education presentations to K-12 and university students. From virtual reality options, screenings, cleanups, and more the organization hopes to educate the next generation. This work is funded by the Pay It Forward Project and CUTL is actively seeking further partnerships.

For more information on CUTL, visit https://cleanupthelake.org/.