Pipe Keepers Public Forum

The League to Save Lake Tahoe is inviting the public to its first Pipe Keepers Public Forum on April 17 at the Blue Angel Café in South Lake Tahoe, featuring five regional experts who will discuss stormwater problems and solutions in the Tahoe Basin. The event will feature free food and drinks, a free raffle, expert presentations and a question and answer session.
“This is an excellent opportunity for the public to learn from the experts what Tahoe’s biggest stormwater problems are and what we can do about it,” said Melissa Thaw, the League’s natural resources manager. “We’re seeing increasing interest in this complex issue. The forum will connect concerned citizens with regional experts who tackle stormwater pollution on a day-to-day basis.”

Urban stormwater runoff is the largest source of pollution clouding Lake Tahoe’s water. When it storms, rain and snowmelt flow off parking lots, streets and other development, collecting nutrients and sediment. In many areas with aging urban infrastructure, that polluted water then flows down drains and out of pipes directly into Lake Tahoe or its tributaries.

Pipe Keepers is a League volunteer water quality monitoring program that targets pollution flowing from these pipes. Since the program’s launch in October 2012, a dedicated group of volunteers have braved the elements during storms to collect water samples, take photos, and raise awareness about the impact of storm drains on the lake.

The forum’s featured experts will include:

Andrea Buxton (Parra), Stormwater Program Coordinator, Tahoe Resource Conservation District
Jason Kuchnicki, Lake Tahoe Watershed Program Manager, Nevada Division of Environmental Protection
Robert Larsen, Senior Environmental Scientist, Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board
Shay Navarro, Senior Planner, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency
Russell Wigart, Stormwater Program - Tahoe Engineering Division, El Dorado County Department of Transportation

Event Details:
WHAT: Pipe Keepers Public Forum
WHO: Open to the public, all ages
WHEN: April 17, 6 – 8 pm
WHERE: Blue Angel Café, 1132 Ski Run Blvd., South Lake Tahoe
RSVP: brenna@keeptahoeblue.org, 530.541.5388, or on Facebook
More information on Pipe Keepers: http://keeptahoeblue.org/our-work/Pipekeepers/