Trash talk: Record amount of trash being collected around Lake Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Trash has been the topic of conversation around Lake Tahoe this summer with the influx of visitors during the pandemic and much more trash found left behind. In a few stories this week we will be looking at efforts and education to keep things clean.

We've all seen the social media photos, bags of trash surrounding dumpsters on beaches and recreation sites around Lake Tahoe. Many on social media are calling for more dumpsters, more trashcans, and more staff to pick up trash but do people really want a trash can every ten feet at the beach and along every trail at Lake Tahoe where one is trying to get away from it all? Could the real solution be taking home what cannot fit inside a trash container, the old "pack it in, pack it out" rule.

Each of the recreation sites at Lake Tahoe have bear-proof entry dumpsters and trash containers. Users must either move a bar or use their hands inside a release to open them. If lack of knowledge on how to use these is a cause for not placing trash inside a container is the cause, that is unknown.

Facts:

California State Parks is taking in 100,000 lbs. of trash per week and staff dedicate one hour of their shift each day to just picking up the garbage left behind.

Kings Beach State Recreation Area has 12 dumpsters, far more than the site needs, and garbage is still left outside the dumpsters when they are not full.

The USFS Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) has doubled their dumpsters at each of the SR28 locations. There was a 4cu dumpster on each site, and now there are two of them, and they are both filled within one day.

A dumpster at Chimney Beach on August 3 (see picture above) had mounds of trash placed around it but North Lake Tahoe Fire and Tahoe Douglas Fire went to clean it up and found the it unlocked and empty.

USFS LTBMU staff are responsible for removing trash from dispersed areas including sites like Eagle Falls Trailhead, Big Meadow Trailhead, Sawmill Pond, Zephyr Shoals, Secret Harbor and Secret Cove, Chimney Beach, Blackwood Canyon and Echo Chalet. Normal trash pickup was once a week but due to the increased amount of trash being seen, they have increased pickups to twice a week and more pickups will be added as needed according to LTBMU Wilderness Manager, Don Lane.

Multiple agencies are responsible for the lands around Lake Tahoe. There are two states; five counties; city, state and federal lands; and private land.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) has advanced a sustainable recreation working group into a COVID-response group for recreation site and tourism managers in the basin, said Jeff Cowen, TRPA public information officer. They are tracking statistics.

All recreation managers around the lake are working to solve the problem even though overwhelmed with an increase in visitors while being understaffed and underfunded.

Our next story: South Tahoe Refuse and record amounts of trash.