The first major winter storm of the year in Lake Tahoe brought more than just snow to its sandy shores — it also spread hundreds of thousands of pieces of polystyrene into the lake. The plastic foam particles, commonly called Styrofoam, are the remains of a floating pier likely on the northeast side of the lake, said Colin West, executive director of Clean Up the Lake and head of the ad-hoc clean up efforts. … West and his team heard about the plastic foam after residents noticed the plastics on the beach following the first snowstorm of 2024 on Jan. 7. A team from Clean Up the Lake, the Incline Village General Improvement District and about 25 volunteers descended on the beaches to clean up the particles the following day.