Western Water: Lake Tahoe’s Unwelcome Guests
The Water Education Foundation’s September/October 2013 issue of Western Water is titled “Two States, One Lake — Keeping Lake Tahoe Blue.” Continuing from last week, here are additional excerpts:
Nonnative species such as trout, bass, crayfish, goldfish and a host of wetland grasses and weeds have become a huge issue in Lake Tahoe. Bass, bluegill and catfish have hurt water quality by excreting nutrients that cause algae blooms, and preying on native species. The invaders have been around a while; some were introduced intentionally as Lake Tahoe’s stature as a recreational destination grew. Others arrived inadvertently or were dumped and found the aquatic environment quite hospitable. The threat posed by invasive species prompted federal lawmakers to increase funding for the effort by $10 million for a total of $30 million. The money is to be used for watercraft inspections and invasive species removal. In 2012, a team of scientists and divers covered approximately 5 acres of the lake bottom with black rubber matting to smother Asian clams by cutting off their oxygen supply. It was the largest Asian clam control project in the lake’s history and the first time the technique, developed by UC Davis researchers, has ever been tried on this scale.
The digital format of Western Water includes videos, audio interviews, animated graphics and easy-to-access links to the reports cited in the article and related background information. Click here to receive a free preview. Become an e-subscriber and access the digital version and all the additional content on your desktop computer or laptop. And view the article on your laptop and download the free Foundation app to view each issue of Western Water in the new interactive format on your iPad or iPhone. Click here to learn more about how to subscribe to this exciting new downloadable digital version of Western Water. Also available on the Foundation’s website are excerpts from this excellent article written by Gary Pitzer. Click to launch the full edition in a new window