environmental protection

For more than half a century, collaboration and partnership have been the bedrock of Lake Tahoe’s preservation. I speak often of the epic collaboration needed to restore our environment and lift up our communities. The creation of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) 50 years ago challenged us to bring people together to pull this majestic lake back from the brink. Today, TRPA is the backbone for 80 organizations and thousands of property owners working toward the common goals of clean water, a healthy watershed, and resilient communities

Clean Up the Lake dive teams have removed 8,183 pounds of trash from Donner Lake and Lake Tahoe, most from the summer of 2020.

The team completed a circumnavigation of Donner Lake, covering every inch of eight-mile shoreline at depths up to 25 feet. They removed all they could find in that area, resulting in 5151.5 pounds. They removed 3,032 pounds of trash from the depths of Lake Tahoe.

Soroptimist International of South Lake Tahoe (SISLT) awarded scholarships to a group of local students from South Tahoe High, George Whittell High, the Lake Tahoe Basin Fire Academy and Lake Tahoe Community College. The club, serving the community since 1959, has given out over one-million dollars to local graduates over the years.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - On May 7, 2020, South Lake Tahoe lost a steadfast advocate for safe, clean drinking water and reliable wastewater services. James R. Jones, 77, a local engineer and avid sailor, served on South Tahoe Public Utility District’s Board of Directors for 39 years (1977-1989, 1993-2020). During his tenure on the Board, Director Jones focused on building for the future, instead of 'kicking the can down the road.’

Celebrations have taken on many new forms since the start of social distancing. Birthday parties have become processions of cars parading past a celebrant’s home—people honking and waving, tossing candy and small gifts (for later disinfecting, then enjoying). And huge international celebrations like the 50th anniversary of Earth Day this week have moved online, giving room for individuals to celebrate and explore the conservation movement in new ways.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - For 23 years political leaders from the White House to state capitols have professed their commitment to protecting Lake Tahoe.

At the first Lake Tahoe Summit on July 27, 1997, then-President Bill Clinton and Vice-President Al Gore told of their commitment to keeping Tahoe blue after decades of erosion from roads, increased emissions from automobiles and boats, removal of wetlands and overgrown and dying forests were threatening its clarity.

For the past 18 years, volunteers have been monitoring water quality conditions across the Lake Tahoe and Truckee River watersheds, collecting data at a single point in time to better understand the area as a whole. It is a bi-state collaborative that can achieve a larger watershed approach to successful data collection.

On May 17 and 18, 2019, volunteers will once again head out and perform a variety of tests including temperature, pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, algae, and nitrogen.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - For many, Richard Solbrig has been the only person they knew as the general manager of South Lake Public Utility District.

On Wednesday, Janury 9, 2019, Sobrig retired.

The district's board of directors unanimously approved a resolution during their January 3 meeting, honoring Solbrig for he service that began in 1990. He has been their general manager since 2003.

Progress for Tahoe, a grassroots group of concerned local citizens who gathered together to address the most pressing issues in Tahoe, have endorsed the following for South Lake Tahoe City Council, Measure T, El Dorado County Supervisors and U.S. Representative California District 4:

South Lake Tahoe City Council – Wendy David, Devin Middlebrook and Tamara Wallace

Join UC Davis TERC in Incline Village for a special summer feature lecture on Thursday, August 30, with Jared Blumenfeld, former EPA Regional Administrator.

For Jared, walking from Mexico to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail opened up new ways of thinking about our relationship with nature. Jared's talk will combine his amazing hiking photographs, stories of adventure and insights about the current state of environmental politics.

Last month, the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center released the Tahoe: State of the Lake Report, which included their finding of an average of 59.7 feet depth of water clarity for 2017, the lowest since they began taking measurements. In advance of the 2018 Lake Tahoe Summit, the following is from Darcie Goodman Collins, PhD, chief executive officer for the League to Save Lake Tahoe, on the findings:

The League to Save Lake Tahoe, Mountain Area Preservation and Sierra Watch are filing today a notice of appeal in California’s Third District Court of Appeals seeking adequate environmental protection for Lake Tahoe from the proposed Martis Valley West Project.

The second People's Climate March will take place on Saturday, April 28 at 10:00 a.m., prior to the South Lake Tahoe Earth Day Celebration.

The Tahoe Climate Change Action Network organized the inaugural march in 2017 to coincide marches across the country and the huge national march in Washington, D.C. marking President Trump's 100th day in office. Marches protested the President's environmental policies, changes to the Environmental Protection Agency and the rolling back of Obama-era regulations on fossil fuels.

January is National Radon Action Month and the cold winter months are the best time to test for this radioactive gas. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is offering free test kits to households in California throughout the month of January, or until supplies run out.

he Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) on Wednesday recognized 15 exceptional projects completed in 2016 with Best in Basin awards.

Now in its 27th year, TRPA’s Best in Basin awards program each year showcases projects around the lake that demonstrate exceptional planning, implementation, and compatibility with Tahoe’s natural environment and communities.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $197,250 to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) to assess and restore wetlands in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Today’s announcement coincided with the 21st annual Lake Tahoe Summit in South Lake Tahoe.

TRPA will use the grant to develop a regional plan for monitoring changes in wetlands over time, prioritizing wetland restoration efforts and establishing goals for successful wetland projects.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Starting later this month, the USFS Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) will start using chemical treatment to try and eradicate, control and contain known infestations of invasive plants. Their focus will be on 90 sites covering 18.25 acres of sites inside the Lake Tahoe Basin.

People marched to the White House. People marched in New York. People marched in London, and people marched in South Lake Tahoe.

According to organizers, an estimated 400-500 people marched from Lakeview Commons to Earth Day festivities at Bijou community Party Saturday morning. South Lake Tahoe marchers were young, old, two-legged and four-legged, with many carrying signs to promote the protection of the environment.

In their ongoing battle with aquatic invasive plants in the Tahoe Keys, the area's property owners association has applied for a permit to test herbicides in the lagoon in 2018.

Millions of visitors and most residents interact with Lake Tahoe from the shoreline, and a plan is currently being created to protect it while also enhancing recreational access to the lake.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) is inviting people to attend an upcoming community workshop on Thursday, November 3 to share input and ideas and help guide the creation of a Shoreline Plan. The workshop is open to the public and will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the TRPA offices in Stateline at 128 Market Street.

This summer,the Tahoe Keys Property Owners Association (TKPOA) has been both combating aquatic invasive weeds while also testing out methods for future eradication of the pesky plants from their channels. They will be hosting a public meeting to update the community on their ongoing efforts on Tuesday, November 1 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the South Tahoe Public Utility District board room.

Zephyr Cove Resort will remain open for business as soil impacted by a 2011 underground fuel release is removed from an area near the south beach volleyball courts starting Monday, September 12.

Even though those driving by and visiting the resort will see the activity, impact to operations is expected to be minimal. There may be some disruption to parking and the volleyball area but watercraft rentals and sightseeing boats will continue to operate during the excavation.

A collaborative planning process to enhance and protect the 72 miles of Lake Tahoe shoreline has begun, and they would like public input to complete the plan.

There will be two workshops this fall to help guide creation of a Shoreline Plan that not only protects the scenic shoreline, but enhances recreational access to the lake.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) is seeking community input during the workshops which will be held on the North Shore on Wednesday, Sept. 21 and at the south end on Thursday, Nov. 3.

An investigation team from the Coast Guard is continuing their investigation into Tuesday's fire on board the Tahoe Queen, which suffered severe damage while it was docked at the pier at the Zephyr Cove Marina on Lake Tahoe's South Shore.

At this point they have not completed their investigation and the cause of the fire has yet to be determined.