Those who have visited Lake Tahoe know that it is a spectacularly impressive natural treasure. With a maximum depth of 1,645 feet and more than 75 miles of shoreline, Lake Tahoe is also one of the deepest and largest lakes in the United States. Nearly three million people visit Lake Tahoe each year to experience its crystal clear waters, towering mountain peaks, and endless recreational opportunities. Increasingly, these visitors are transcending traditional tourism activities and taking steps to preserve the environmental health of the lake by participating in stewardship and citizen science opportunities.
Unfortunately, conventional tourism can have an adverse environmental impact. After busy summer weekends, Tahoe beaches are often littered with thousands of pounds of bottle caps, cigarette butts, and plastic bags left over from the shores. Road traffic and congestion are polluting Tahoe’s air, while winter road sanding threatens the lake’s famous water clarity (these traction particles are crushed by car tires and washed directly into the lake ).
Perhaps most concerning is the recent introduction and spread of invasive aquatic species in Lake Tahoe. Species like the Eurasian watermilfoil and curly-leaved seaweed have been brought to the lake in visiting boats and are now spreading, covering shallow waters with a thick green mat.
In fairness, not all Lake Tahoe visitors carelessly dump their trash on the beaches or drive their cars around the lake in circles. Many choose to keep Tahoe Blue by riding bikes, taking public transportation, and practicing the Leave No Trace ethic while enjoying Tahoe’s beaches and trails.
A comprehensive inspection program helps capture invasive stowaway species before boats are launched on the lake, a critical component to ensure that other potential invaders, such as zebra and quagga mussels, are not introduced. These are very positive steps to minimize the impacts of tourism; However, I think that visitors and locals should try to leave the lake in a better state than they found it.
But how can an everyday tourist actively tackle problems like sediment pollution or invasive species? The League to Save Lake Tahoe has its opportunities.
Founded in 1957 in response to uncontrolled development and pollution in the Tahoe Basin, The League to Save Lake Tahoe has been working with Tahoe’s scientific, political and community organizations to ensure the health and environmental beauty of the lake. Perhaps best known for the tagline, Keep Tahoe Blue, it has recently created a set of opportunities for Tahoe locals and visitors to engage in meaningful citizen science activities.
The easiest way to get involved is through a beach cleanup. These fun social gatherings take place during the summer months, offering Tahoe residents and visitors a way to improve the health and appearance of Lake Tahoe while exploring its beautiful shoreline. Trash collected by volunteers is counted and analyzed by League staff to monitor different types of contaminants, informing how to prioritize community outreach and education initiatives designed to address specific problems.
Through the Eyes on the Lake program, adventurers learn to identify a report on the presence / absence of invasive aquatic plants while hiking, swimming, kayaking, and SUP along the Tahoe shoreline. A team of volunteers produces data used by agencies around the lake, and they have already identified a number of new infestations, facilitating removal efforts before these populations become large and expensive to control. You can literally “protect while you play.”
For those visiting in the rain or snow, the Pipe Keepers program is tailored to your visit. These hardy volunteers take water samples from stormwater pipes that they dump directly into the lake to measure the turbidity (the fancy word for cloudiness) of the water. This data is used to track whether the pipes become more or less dirty over time. This enables the most polluting “problem pipelines” to be identified, allowing the upstream factors that contribute to poor conditions to be investigated and improved.
Whatever your age, interests, or length of time in Tahoe, there is a way to join the management effort. By doing so, you may start to feel a bit like a local, and you will certainly be proud to know that you left the place cleaner than you found it.
To participate, register for an upcoming event here.
