In the News

Lake Tahoe’s Future Depends on You – Top 10 Ways to Save Lake Tahoe
date posted: December 27 2005

Lake Tahoe Report #111
April 4, 2005
By John Cobourn and Heather Segale


Many state, federal and local agencies at Lake Tahoe are spending millions of dollars to prevent Lake Tahoe from losing its remarkable water clarity. There are some simple things you can do to help.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) has a list of 25 Ways to Save Lake Tahoe. Julie Regan, Communications Director for TRPA, has condensed this list to the top 10 things you can do to help protect the lake. They are:

1. Install Best Management Practices (BMPs)
BMPs are ways to control the runoff from your property, and they are required for all properties in the basin. The BMPs best suited for you depend on your property. Examples of BMPs include installing trenches to infiltrate roof and driveway runoff, paving your driveway and covering bare soil with plants and mulch. To find out which BMPs will work for your property, contact TRPA or your Conservation District for information about a free BMP site evaluation.

2. Keep it Simple
Don’t disturb native vegetation any more than you have to. Preservation of existing plants and the soil’s duff layer are two of the best ways to prevent further loss of water quality in Lake Tahoe.

3. Use Native and Adapted Plants When Landscaping
It’s important to make the right decisions about landscaping and gardening. You should try to use mostly native or adapted plants because they require less irrigation, fertilizer and pesticides. The goal is to have healthy plants with roots that hold topsoil in place. Good planning will result in landscaping that’s useful, attractive and good for the environment.

4. Pave Your Driveway
Paving isn’t always bad. Sediment from even the most compacted dirt driveway washes into the nearest storm drain, and then into Lake Tahoe during a rainfall or when snow melts. Paving your driveway also reduces the amount of dust in the air during the summer months, another factor contributing to the decline of Lake Tahoe’s water quality.

5. Replace Old Wood Stoves
Wood smoke contributes to air quality problems at Lake Tahoe. If you have an old wood stove, look into purchasing a newer, EPA-certified stove or fireplace insert. These typically use half the wood to generate the same amount of heat as an old stove, so you’ll save money and help the environment.

6. Protect Wetlands
Many residential areas have stream environment zones (SEZs) meandering through them. While SEZs don’t necessarily have a stream or creek running through them, they are highly fragile areas that are extremely important in preserving water quality and fish and wildlife habitat. SEZs are typically located in low-lying areas with spongy soil, especially in spring, and support deciduous trees.

7. Minimize Trips in Your Car
Reducing the number of trips you take in your car helps to preserve air quality and reduce traffic congestion. Excessive automobile use degrades air quality in the basin and contributes to the decline in Tahoe’s clarity.

8. Stay on Designated Trails
Erosion from dirt roads and trails presents a serious water quality challenge. It’s important to tread lightly and stay on designated trails in order to minimize trail erosion.

9. Motor Boat Education
In an effort to preserve Lake Tahoe’s famed water clarity and quality, carbureted, two-stroke engines powering boats and personal watercraft are banned from the lake. Only cleaner, direct fuel-injected two-stroke engines are allowed. Four-stroke engines are also allowed. There is also a 600-foot no-wake zone around the shoreline of Lake Tahoe to minimize shoreline erosion and the noise impacts on residents, visitors and wildlife. Within this zone, speeds are limited to 5 miles per hour.

10. Get Involved!
Everyone has a role in helping to preserve Lake Tahoe. Contact TRPA, (775) 588-4547, ext. 235, to find out about upcoming events and opportunities where you can help. For a free BMP site evaluation, call the Nevada Tahoe Conservation District, (775) 586-1610, ext. 28, or the Tahoe Resource Conservation District, (530) 543-1501, ext. 6.

The Lake Tahoe Report is a collaborative effort of the Lake Tahoe Environmental Education Coalition, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center and the California State Water Resource Control Board. For more information, contact Heather Segale, UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, (530) 583-3279, or logon to www.lteec.org.