Five decades of history and stories of research at Lake Tahoe

UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center invites the community to join renowned limnologist Dr. Charles Goldman for an entertaining public presentation on the stories and history of five decades of scientific research at Lake Tahoe and the challenges ahead. Dr. Goldman’s presentation will begin at 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 4 at the Tahoe Science Center in Incline Village, Nev.

UC Davis research at Lake Tahoe began with Dr. Charles Goldman. In 1959, Dr. Goldman formed the Tahoe Research Group and began regularly monitoring Lake Tahoe.

Goldman successfully combined effective research and social action with his pioneering studies of lake eutrophication--the dense growth of algae caused by pollution from fertilizers and sediment. More than 40 years of extensive, internationally-renowned investigations by Goldman provided clear evidence for the onset of eutrophication in Lake Tahoe. These findings have served as the underlying basis for nearly all major policy decisions regarding water quality in the Tahoe Basin, including exportation of sewage and solid waste, strict control on building, installation of major erosion control projects, protection of wetlands, establishment of water quality thresholds, control of nonpoint source pollution, and controls on dredging.

Dr. Charles Goldman retired from UC Davis where he had been a professor since 1958. He developed the first courses in limnology (the study of fresh waters) and oceanography at UC Davis.

The presentation follows the afternoon UC Davis Volunteer Docent Training session. For additional details about the presentation or docent program, contact Heather Segale at 775-881-7562 or hmsegale@ucdavis.edu, or visit http://tahoe.ucdavis.edu/events/.