World renowned for its crystal clear, azure water, Lake Tahoe
straddles the Nevada-California border. However, the lake’s
clarity has declined in the last 40 years due to accumulated
effects of development.
At 1,645 feet, Lake Tahoe is the second deepest lake in the
United States and the 10th deepest in the world. Lake Tahoe sits
6,225 feet above sea level, and is 22 miles long and 12 miles
wide.
Approximately 40 percent of the Tahoe Basin’s rain and snow fall
directly into the lake, contributing to Lake Tahoe’s legendary
clarity. The remaining precipitation drains through granitic
soils, which are relatively sterile and create a good filtering
system.
The lake’s vitality is threatened by several factors
including invasive species (trout and bass), stormwater
runoff and increasing temperatures as a part of ongoing climate
change. Meanwhile, drought conditions have led the lake to be the
driest it has been in a century.
It was a gorgeous June Saturday on Lake Tahoe, but the day
turned stormy in minutes when a torrent of winds whipped up
choppy waters that terrified boaters. Eight people died. The
Times looked at videos, radar and satellite imagery, and
interviewed over 30 people, including meteorologists, local
officials and boaters who were on the lake that day. The
investigation revealed a rare set of circumstances that led to
the unexpectedly dangerous day.
Lake Tahoe’s clear waters are benefiting from a record-breaking
effort to reduce pollution, according to a new report from
California and Nevada. The report by the Lahontan Regional
Water Quality Control Board found that an estimated 727,000
pounds of fine sediment; more than 5,800 pounds of nitrogen;
and nearly 2,100 pounds of phosphorus were prevented from
reaching the lake in 2024 — all annual record highs since the
program began tracking these statistics in 2016. These
pollutants can fuel algae growth and harm the lake’s clarity.
… Three to 6 million visitors a year flock to Lake Tahoe, due
in large part to the crystal-clear blue water. … But a
recently released study by UC Davis on the water’s health shows
clarity is the third murkiest since records were taken in the
1960s, with visibility ending at 62.3 feet down — a fair
distance from the best clarity level recorded of 102.4 feet.
… To protect water health and clarity, environmental
groups are turning to new tech — from sand-sifting and
surface-skimming robots to a flying water taxi with
environmental perks.
… [Sen. Adam] Schiff was here this week to host the
Tahoe Summit, an annual event where lawmakers and community
leaders gather at a lakefront venue to champion environmental
protections, bipartisan collaboration and federal investment in
Lake Tahoe. This year, calls to protect Lake Tahoe come as the
Trump administration cuts funding for climate change research
and reduces staffing at public land management agencies.
… Schiff, who sits on the Senate’s agriculture
committee, told SFGATE on Tuesday aboard the John LeConte that
he is “deeply concerned” about cuts to the Forest
Service. … [H]e told SFGATE he wants to carry on [former
Sen. Dianne] Feinstein’s legacy and continue to advocate for
Lake Tahoe.
This year’s Tahoe Summit theme is “Protecting Lake Tahoe:
Balancing Sustainable Recreation and Conservation.” Leaders
from California and Nevada, on both sides of the
aisle, joined together to reach that goal. … Even though
the Tahoe summit celebrates bipartisanship, California leaders
say they are concerned about the decisions made on the federal
level when it comes to cuts to the Lake Tahoe area.
Officials are warning the public to stay out of the water near
a popular resort on Lake Tahoe’s southern shore … after
detecting “high levels” of E. coli bacteria Friday after a
sewage leak. Water quality samples collected near the Camp
Richardson resort revealed elevated levels of Escherichia coli,
commonly known as E. coli, according to the U.S. Forest
Service’s Tahoe Basin Management Unit. Immediately after the E.
coli was detected, the resort conducted a sewer line
inspection, located a leak and began repairs, the forest
service said. … According to the Forest Service,
officials are collecting and analyzing water samples from Camp
Richardson and areas east and west of the resort and will
advise the public if they need to take additional precautions
or if it’s safe to resume normal activities.
… Beginning in 2008, boats trailered to Tahoe have been
required to undergo inspections for prolific quagga mussels,
which have caused vast damage in the Great Lakes, Lake Mead and
other places. But the discovery late last year of another
species, the golden mussel, in the
Sacramento River Delta has redoubled concern.
The golden mussels, native to Asia, are even heartier and more
prolific than their quagga cousins. The tiny creatures grow up
to 2 inches in length, and have already proved their ability to
spread. They have been detected in Quail Lake
in Los Angeles County. And inspectors at Alpine Meadows found a
single live golden mussel on the drive shaft of a boat bound
for Tahoe at the end of May. Allowed to proliferate, the
mussels will thoroughly encrust docks, boats and other hard
surfaces, requiring cleanups that easily run into millions of
dollars.
On average, more than 60 percent of
California’s developed water supply originates in the Sierra
Nevada and the southern spur of the Cascade Range. Our water
supply is largely dependent on the health of our Sierra forests,
which are suffering from ecosystem degradation, drought,
wildfires and widespread tree mortality.
This tour ventured into the Sierra to examine water issues
that happen upstream but have dramatic impacts downstream and
throughout the state.
Sixty percent of California’s developed water supply
originates high in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Our water
supply is largely dependent on the health of our Sierra forests,
which are suffering from ecosystem degradation, drought,
wildfires and widespread tree mortality.
We headed into the foothills and the mountains to examine
water issues that happen upstream but have dramatic impacts
downstream and throughout the state.
GEI (Tour Starting Point)
2868 Prospect Park Dr.
Rancho Cordova, CA 95670.
Lake
Tahoe, the iconic high Sierra water body that straddles
California and Nevada, has sat for more than 10,000 years at the
heart of the Washoe tribe’s territory. In fact, the name Tahoe
came from the tribal word dá’aw, meaning lake.
The lake’s English name was the source of debate for about 100
years after it was first “discovered” in 1844 by people of
European descent when Gen. John C. Fremont’s expedition made its
way into the region. Not long after, a man who carried mail on
snowshoes from Placerville to Nevada City named it Lake Bigler in
honor of John Bigler, who served as California’s third governor.
But because Bigler was an ardent secessionist, the federal
Interior Department during the Civil War introduced the name
Tahoe in 1862. Meanwhile, California kept it as Lake Bigler and
didn’t officially recognize the name as Lake Tahoe until 1945.
Sixty percent of California’s developed water supply
originates high in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Our water
supply is largely dependent on the health of our Sierra forests,
which are suffering from ecosystem degradation, drought,
wildfires and widespread tree mortality.
This 25-minute documentary-style DVD, developed in partnership
with the California Department of Water Resources, provides an
excellent overview of climate change and how it is already
affecting California. The DVD also explains what scientists
anticipate in the future related to sea level rise and
precipitation/runoff changes and explores the efforts that are
underway to plan and adapt to climate.
30-minute DVD that traces the history of the U.S. Bureau of
Reclamation and its role in the development of the West. Includes
extensive historic footage of farming and the construction of
dams and other water projects, and discusses historic and modern
day issues.
This beautiful 24×36-inch poster, suitable for framing, displays
the rivers, lakes and reservoirs, irrigated farmland, urban areas
and Indian reservations within the Truckee River Basin, including
the Newlands Project, Pyramid Lake and Lake Tahoe. Map text
explains the issues surrounding the use of the Truckee-Carson
rivers, Lake Tahoe water quality improvement efforts, fishery
restoration and the effort to reach compromise solutions to many
of these issues.
This 24×36 inch poster, suitable for framing, illustrates the
water resources available for Nevada cities, agriculture and the
environment. It features natural and manmade water resources
throughout the state, including the Truckee and Carson rivers,
Lake Tahoe, Pyramid Lake and the course of the Colorado River
that forms the state’s eastern boundary.
The 28-page Layperson’s Guide to Nevada Water provides an
overview of the history of water development and use in Nevada.
It includes sections on Nevada’s water rights laws, the history
of the Truckee and Carson rivers, water supplies for the Las
Vegas area, groundwater, water quality, environmental issues and
today’s water supply challenges.
A new look for our most popular product! And it’s the perfect
gift for the water wonk in your life.
Our 24×36-inch California Water Map is widely known for being the
definitive poster that shows the integral role water plays in the
state. On this updated version, it is easier to see California’s
natural waterways and man-made reservoirs and aqueducts
– including federally, state and locally funded
projects – the wild and scenic rivers system, and
natural lakes. The map features beautiful photos of
California’s natural environment, rivers, water projects,
wildlife, and urban and agricultural uses and the
text focuses on key issues: water supply, water use, water
projects, the Delta, wild and scenic rivers and the Colorado
River.
Lake Tahoe is one of the world’s most beautiful yet vulnerable
lakes. Renowned for its remarkable clarity, Tahoe straddles the
Nevada-California border, stretching 22 miles long and 12 miles
wide in a granitic bowl high in the Sierra Nevada.
Tahoe sits 6,225 feet above sea level. Its deepest point is 1,645
feet, making it the second-deepest lake in the nation, after
Oregon’s Crater Lake, and the tenth deepest in the world.
Lake Tahoe is one of the Sierra Nevada’s crown jewels, renowned
for its breathtaking clarity. The high-altitude, clear blue lake
and its surrounding basin, which lie on the California-Nevada
state line, is a spectacular natural resource that provides
environmental, economic, recreational and aesthetic benefits.
