Programs & Resources: For Volunteers

Citizen Monitoring Efforts Continue
Marine Research & Education Inc. Creates South Lake Tahoe Clean Water Team

Thanks to funding through the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board and support from the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, Marine Research & Education (MR&E) is forming a South Lake Tahoe Clean Water Team. The first meeting of this team was held on July 29 along the banks of Trout Creek. Current participants include children from the Boys & Girls Club and local middle schools, teachers, and neighborhood leaders of the Backyard Conservation Program.

The group plans to monitor Bijou Creek following storms, Lake sites monthly, and neighborhoods in South Lake Tahoe to investigate Best Management Practices on residential lots. MR&E will also be facilitating discussion groups among interested participants. Monitoring will continue on a monthly basis. For more information, contact MR&E, (530) 544-7409.

Other monitoring efforts in the region include monthly stream monitoring in Incline Village with the Incline Clean Water Team, summer monitoring of aquatic invertebrates with the Truckee River Aquatic Monitors, and the annual Snapshot Day event.

Incline Village Clean Water Team Will Continue to Host Monthly Monitoring

Incline Village Clean Water Team will meet on the fourth Thursday of every month during 2005 at the Incline Village General Improvement District (IVGID) Public Works Building, 1220 Sweetwater Road, Incline Village.

Become an active supporter in the fight to keep our water clean. The Incline Village Clean Water Team collects stream information monthly, which is used to help keep our water clean and clear. The team monitors 11 stream sites located on Third, Deer, Incline, Mill and Rosewood Creeks. Volunteers collect physical and chemical stream data and additional samples for lab analysis. This is a fantastic opportunity to learn about water quality issues while taking direct action to help save Lake Tahoe. No experience is necessary. To volunteer, contact Domi Fellers, IVGID, (775) 832-1284 or domi_fellers@ivgid.org.

Snapshot Day 2004 Report Released

The 2004 Lake Tahoe and Truckee Watershed Annual Snapshot Day Report was released at a volunteer appreciation dinner held Dec. 10 at the D. W. Reynolds Community Non-Profit Center in Incline Village.

University of California, Davis researcher Alexander A. Rabidoux (with S. Geoffrey Schladow, Ph.D.) presented the results of particle analysis that was conducted. (This report is titled Particle Analysis Results for 2004 Snapshot Day at Lake Tahoe.) This year was the second year that additional water samples were collected from Tahoe tributaries for particle size and elemental analysis by UC Davis. This data will aid in the development and testing of the UC Davis Lake Tahoe Clarity Model.

last modified: April 12 2005

LTEEC Newsletters Online
Contact Leslie Allen, (775) 832-4138 or allenl@unce.unr.edu, if you are interested in receiving a copy of the quarterly LTEEC newsletter. Otherwise, you can view or print these files in Adobe PDF format:

last modified: April 21 2005

Be On the Lookout for Invasive Weeds
As invasive weeds continue to proliferate at alarming rates in the Basin, it is essential that we undertake a Basin-wide effort to stop the spread. Developing community partnerships and coordinating management efforts will allow us to tackle the economic and ecological problems associated with noxious weed infestations more effectively.

Interested agencies, biologists, and community groups have recently joined to form an invasive weed coordinating group that is committed to sharing information on the management and control of invasive weeds within the Lake Tahoe Basin. To join the effort, call Sue Donaldson, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, (775) 784-4848.

last modified: April 29 2002

Proposed 2004-05 Work Plan Items
The proposed projects below are a compilation of the suggestions from the 2003 LTEEC Annual Meeting Forum and from a similar forum conducted at the Lake Tahoe Federal Advisory Committee (FAC). The LTEEC Steering Committee is seeking further input from the membership about which of these items are high priorities and whether LTEEC or other groups should take the lead and direct these efforts. We will be sending out a survey to FAC members and to the panelists of the Annual Meeting. If you would like to participate in this survey call Heather Segale, (775) 832-4138.

  • Conduct a LTEEC Member Survey – How is LTEEC doing? How can we better serve the needs of the community?
  • Conduct a Marketing Survey – What marketing strategies and methods would be most effective for disseminating these messages? Include an opinion survey of residents’ ideas, fears, and concerns. Get an independent, unbiased group to conduct the survey.
  • Develop a comprehensive regional EE Plan as part of Pathway 2007. Develop one plan for all agencies. Make it a simple, easy to understand publication.
  • Coordinate a comprehensive “Lake Tahoe” marketing campaign involving the private and public sectors.
  • Follow the guidelines from a national media campaign such as the new “Erase the Waste” campaign (http://www.erasethewaste.com/).
  • Develop an Eco-Literacy Challenge or Tahoe Environmental Literacy Assessment to determine the level of understanding of environmental issues by locals.
  • Develop a “stewardship pledge” similar to the Coastal Stewardship Pledge (see http://www.coastal .ca.gov/publiced/steward/pledge_form.html).
  • Gather Tahoe area Public Information Officers (PIOs) for collaboration on outreach.
  • Work with local media contacts to discuss their roles and responsibilities in building and supporting environmental restoration.
  • Create videos on “How to Install BMPs” and “Native Landscaping.”
  • Collaborate with the Shakespeare Festival to develop entertaining skits about the local environment (i.e. GreenShow or opening announcements).
  • Develop a “Lake-friendly” Business Program.
  • Develop and market a “Lake-friendly Fertilizer.”
  • Develop a Homeowner or Welcome Packet about environmental issues and practices for new homeowners or renters. Create a Welcome Packet for visitors outlining “do's and don'ts” in the Tahoe Basin.
  • Organize an event celebrating Lake Tahoe in support of the proposed Lake Tahoe stamp.
  • Support environmental education for kids, work together and educate local students, provide courses specific to Tahoe environmental issues (e.g. science for elementary, middle and high schools in the basin).
  • Develop content for Tahoe Interagency Information Management System (TIIMS) – promote this central environmental Web site with links to each organization.
  • Provide educational “placards” in every motel room by collaborating with the resort industry to get the message out.
  • Increase media outreach efforts to reach second homeowners living in San Francisco, Sacramento, San Jose, the Bay Area, and Sacramento Valley.
  • Conduct outreach to the Hispanic community. Break language barriers.
  • Put up educational booths at local farmers markets.
  • Put up educational booths at local ski resorts.
  • Establish a hotline for questions and frustrations.
  • Issue an Annual Report Card to determine success of local agencies and projects and compare from year-to-year.
  • Create partnership with ski industry and local businesses.
last modified: August 30 2004

Citizen Monitoring Update Fall 2003
World Water Monitoring Day

More than 75,000 people participated in water quality monitoring, water festivals and other educational outreach activities at the 2002 National Water Monitoring Day last October. Over 5,100 sites were registered across the country including every state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Local press coverage of the event raised awareness of the continued need to care for watersheds.

Desiring to build on the success of the first year, America’s Clean Water Foundation (ACWF) and its new international partner, the International Water Association (IWA), are joining together to coordinate World Water Monitoring Day with existing partners.

From Sept. 18 to Oct. 18, citizens throughout the global community are joining together to monitor the quality of their local watersheds and enter the information in an international database. Then, on Oct. 18, people across the globe will celebrate World Water Monitoring Day.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would like to ensure that Americans and citizens around the globe have clean water for domestic, agricultural, commercial and recreational uses. EPA is partnering with ACWF and IWA to urge people around the world to test the quality of their streams, lakes, wetlands, and coastal waters. As part of World Water Monitoring Day, volunteers of all ages will perform four key tests to measure dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity/clarity and temperature. They can then enter their findings on the Web.

Test kits may be borrowed from LTEEC, (775) 832-4138, or ordered through ACWF at http://www
.worldwaterrmonitoringday.org.

Incline Village Clean Water Team Meeting on Oct. 18

The Incline Village Clean Water Team is a volunteer citizen monitoring group that meets once a month and helps monitor several creeks around Incline Village. Volunteers are always needed and no experience is necessary. They will meet on Oct. 18 and will be participating in World Water Monitoring Day. Contact Ann Bollinger, IVGID, (775) 832-1284.

Truckee River Aquatic Monitors (TRAM)

One indication of the health of an aquatic ecosystem is the types of animals that are living in it. Aquatic insects and other “macroinverterbrates” form the base of the food web in streams and rivers. Without ample food supply, the river would not be able to support a healthy fishery. Aquatic organisms vary greatly in their ability to tolerate poor water quality. By taking samples throughout the watershed and then identifying the different types of organisms within that sample, we are able to assess the relative quality of the various sampling sites.

The Truckee River Aquatic Monitors (TRAM) began as an all-volunteer effort five years ago. TRAM became a committee of the Truckee River Watershed Council in 2002. The group samples five different streams within the watershed each summer. Besides collecting insect samples, TRAM volunteers collect water quality data such as pH, water temperature, conductivity, and dissolved oxygen content. If you are interested in learning more, contact Beth Christman, program manager, (530) 550-8760 or visit http:/ /www.truckeeriverwc.org.

If you would like to help start an aquatic monitoring program at Tahoe, contact Heather Segale, (775) 832-4138.

Snapshot Day Volunteer Appreciation Party

We will be unveiling our final report of the Snapshot Day stream monitoring event at a volunteer appreciation dinner party, Nov. 14, at the new Donald W. Reynolds Community Non-Profit Center. All volunteers that participated are invited to join for this dinner event. Contact Heather Segale, (775) 832-4138, to RSVP.

Get Involved

If you are curious about water quality monitoring in Tahoe, contact your local water monitoring group:

  • Clean Water Team, Incline Village - Domi Fellers, (775) 832-1284
  • Clean Water Team, Snapshot Day - Heather Segale, (775) 832-4138
  • Nevada Tahoe Conservation District, Stateline -Chad Praul, (775) 586-7206
  • Truckee River Watershed Council, Truckee - Beth Christman, (530) 550-8760, info@truckeeriverwc.org
last modified: August 30 2004

Citizen Monitoring Update Winter 2004
On May 10, 2003, 250 volunteers collected water quality data at 125 distinct monitoring sites, including tributaries to Lake Tahoe, shoreline and lake sites, and the Truckee River and its tributaries from Tahoe City to Pyramid Lake near Reno. The third annual Snapshot Day (2003) Report is available at http://www.lteec.org/xtras
/SnapshotDay2003Report.pdf. This year’s annual one-day event is being scheduled for either May 22 or June 5. Please contact Heather Segale, (775) 832-4138, if you are interested in participating in this year’s event.

Volunteers Needed: We need a few Nevada residents of the Tahoe Basin to conduct stream monitoring during 2004. Please contact Heather Segale, (775) 832-4138, if you would like to learn more.

Students Think Globally,
Act Locally: Sierra Watershed Education Partnerships (SWEP) hosted a myriad of water quality monitoring field days with students and community partners of the Tahoe-Truckee Unified School District (TTUSD).

In honor of World Water Monitoring Day (Oct. 18), students got to learn firsthand the importance of clean water. Seventh-graders from Sierra Mountain Middle School conducted water quality tests and macroinvertebrate samples on Sagehen Creek. Third- and fifth-graders from Kings Beach Elementary explored Griff Creek. Tahoe Lake fourth– and fifth-graders tested the Truckee River. In all, over 300 students were out on local creeks this fall!

At all grade levels, students collected the same set of data: temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen and qualitative assessments. Student data was entered into the worldwide water quality database as a contribution to the global effort.
With more and more emphasis being placed on state content standards, SWEP took a close look at the components of water quality monitoring and what activities were best suited to meet grade-level content standards.

The field experience differed between grade levels, depending on what standards could best be met. For instance, third-graders were challenged to understand that scientists use different instruments to collect certain types of data. They were then instructed on how to read a thermometer and pH strip, and record the data about their local creek. Seventh graders focused on how temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen affect life in and around the creek.

For more information on SWEP’s student water quality monitoring program, please contact Jan Ellis, (775) 831-6071.

last modified: August 30 2004

Citizen Monitoring 2004
Did you ever wonder exactly how we gather all the information about our water quality? At the Fourth Annual Snapshot Day, May 22, you can learn how and help assess our water quality along the Truckee River and at Lake Tahoe. Volunteers will be taking water samples and photos and recording other data to help monitor our watersheds and water quality. Experts will compare the information gathered to previous years and make recommendations to help preserve water quality, valuable recreation areas and wildlife habitat.

The event was established four years ago to help stimulate citizen interest and participation in local water quality issues, as well as to provide baseline water quality information that can help identify problem areas that need attention. With agencies across the county being asked to do more with less funding, citizen monitoring of streams and lakes is becoming more popular around the country. Volunteers are still needed for this year’s event. No previous experience is necessary. For more information, contact Heather Segale, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, (775) 832-4138.

last modified: August 30 2004

Snapshot Day Stream Monitoring
Snapshot Day is an annual one-day event sponsored by the Tahoe-Truckee Clean Water Team and the Lake Tahoe Environmental Education Coalition. It is designed get community volunteers involved in monitoring the water moving through the Lake Tahoe and Truckee River watersheds. Water samples are taken at the same time at various sites throughout the watershed in order to develop a picture of water quality and watershed health at a single point in time. The volunteer monitoring teams field-test streams for dissolved oxygen, conductivity, pH and temperature. They also conduct a visual assessment, collect field data, grab samples and take photos. Water samples are taken back to central meeting locations and distributed to labs to be measured for sediment particle size, turbidity, nutrients and fecal coliform bacteria. Sponsoring agencies provide all the sampling and monitoring equipment.

Each Snapshot Day has a focus. The focus for this year’s third annual Snapshot Day was for Lake Tahoe volunteers to gather sediment samples from the mouths of all 63 tributaries into Lake Tahoe. These sediment samples will help provide data for Lake Tahoe’s Total Maximum Daily Load study that is being conducted by the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board (LRWQCB). Snapshot Day is also intended to provide baseline data that could be used in upcoming project identification, Environmental Improvement Project program monitoring and to create a large-scale collaborative effort to prevent further degradation of water quality.

There are two levels of volunteers for Snapshot Day, team leaders and team members. Team leaders must be trained in water quality sampling. Team members do not need training. On SnapShot Day, volunteers will meet at centralized locations to pick up sampling supplies. Refreshments will be provided.

For more information or to get involved, contact:
· Lake Tahoe: Heather Segale, Lake Tahoe Environmental Education Coalition, (775) 832-4138
· Truckee: Beth Cristman, Truckee River Watershed Council, (530) 550-8760
· Reno: Mary Kay Riedl, NDEP, (775) 687-9454

Snapshot Day 2003 Results
Snapshot Day 2003 was the third annual citizen volunteer stream monitoring event for the Lake Tahoe and Truckee River watershed. On May 10, 2003, more than 250 volunteers collected water quality data at 125 distinct monitoring sites. A copy of the 2003 Snapshot Day Final Report is available at the LTEEC office. Contact Heather Segale, (775) 832-4138, or view the PDF files: 2003 Snapshot Day Final Report and 2003 Snapshot Day Data.

Snapshot Day 2002 Results
The second annual Snapshot Day was held on May 4, 2002, with more than 300 volunteers gathering important visual and habitat data along with water samples from 113 locations. A copy of the 2002 Snapshot Day Final Report is available at the LTEEC office or view the PDF files: 2002 Snapshot Day Final Report and 2002 Snapshot Day Data.

Snapshot Day 2001 Results
The first annual Snapshot Day event in the Tahoe-Truckee watershed was held on June 2, 2001. More than 100 committed citizen-volunteers, working closely with many water quality management agencies, participated in gathering water quality data at 44 locations. A copy of the 2001 Snapshot Day Final Report is available at the LTEEC office, or view the PDF files: 2001 Snapshot Day Final Report and 2001 Snapshot Day Data.

last modified: December 24 2003

Citizen Monitoring
Across the country, private citizens are learning about water quality issues and helping protect our Nation's water resources by becoming volunteer monitors. Volunteers are analyzing water samples for dissolved oxygen, nutrients, pH, temperature, and a host of other water constituents; evaluating the health of stream habitats and aquatic biological communities; inventorying stream-side conditions and land uses that may affect water quality; cataloging and collecting beach debris, and restoring degraded habitats. State and local agencies may use volunteer data to screen for water quality problems, establish trends in waters that would otherwise be unmonitored, and make planning decisions. Volunteers benefit from learning more about their local water resources, identifying what conditions or activities might be contributing to pollution problems, and working with clubs, environmental groups, and state or local governments to address problem areas.

last modified: December 24 2003

Lake Tahoe is Losing Water Clarity
Lake Tahoe waters have been losing transparency at an average of about one foot each year since the late 1960s.

Lake Tahoe’s exceptional clarity is a result of the absence of suspended sediment and free-floating, single-celled algae in the water. Given undisturbed conditions, the lake’s water quality would change so slowly the changes would be undetectable over a human lifetime. Human settlements and logging activities that began in the late 1880s have contributed to the rapidly declining clarity. Lake Tahoe’s clarity has decreased by more than 33 percent since the 1960s and is steadily declining at the rate of one foot a year. Scientists say that the rate of water quality deterioration at Lake Tahoe has been steady for so long it may become irreversible in 10 years.

Lake Tahoe’s water quality problems are not caused by industry or by wastewater treatment plants. The causes of water pollution are the daily activities of the thousands of residents and visitors in the Lake Tahoe watershed. We all need to learn to reduce our impact on the environment—impacts like erosion, over-fertilization, spills, leaks, and disturbances of soils and stream environment zones.

last modified: December 27 2005

TMDL: A Water Quality Restoration Plan
A TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) is a water quality restoration plan, mandated by the federal Clean Water Act, designed to reduce the amount of pollution contributing to the decline of Lake Tahoe's clarity (see figure at right). Technically, a TMDL is defined as the amount of a specific pollutant that a water body can receive and still meet water quality standards. Research at Lake Tahoe has shown that it is the load or mass (kilograms per year) of fine sediment and nutrients, and not simply their concentration (milligrams per liter) in stream flow or runoff, that affects the long-term clarity trend.

TMDLs provide a framework mandated by the federal Clean Water Act to scientifically understand and control the sources of pollutants that impair lake clarity. In order to establish the TMDL, two years of research and monitoring data (see box to right) will be collected, interpreted, and combined with a wealth of historical data. The TMDL will form the basis for a comprehensive and collaborative lake clarity restoration plan. Once completed in 2007, it is anticipated that the TMDL will greatly enhance our scientific understanding of lake processes and help guide the implementation of existing projects and programs such as the Environmental Improvement Program, as well as small-scale individual projects.

For more information visit http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/rwqcb6/TMDL/Tahoe/Tahoe_Index.htm on the Internet or contact Dave Roberts at DRoberts@rb6s.swrcb.ca.gov.

New Research and Monitoring Projects


  • Reconstruction of historic meteorology – UC Davis
  • Loading of fine sediment – Collective effort
  • Stream channel erosion – USDA National Sedimentation Laboratory
  • Groundwater – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
  • Sewer line exfiltration – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
  • Storm water runoff monitoring - Tahoe Research Group (TRG), Desert Research Institute (DRI)
  • Statistical analysis of loading related to land use characteristics – Hydrokios Consulting, DRI, TRG
  • Watershed modeling – Tetra Tech Inc. and others
  • Biologically available phosphorus – University of Nevada, Reno
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  • haracterization and fate of lake particles – UC Davis
  • Application of Clarity Model – UC Davis
  • Storm water BMP evaluations and implementation feasibility – Geosyntech Consulting
  • Establish air quality monitoring network – California Air Resources Board (CARB), TRPA and others
  • Characterization of air quality emission sources – CARB
  • Modeling of atmospheric deposition to Lake Tahoe – CARB
  • Near-shore water quality – DRI
  • Data management – TRPA

last modified: February 20 2003

Fish Species of the Lake Tahoe Basin
Lake Tahoe Report #151
January 9, 2006
By John Cobourn and Heather Segale

In terms of lakes, Tahoe is a relatively harsh environment for fish. It was cutoff from other bodies of water many thousands of years ago, so as it evolved, only seven species of fish evolved in it. However, since the introduction of humans and human intervention at Lake Tahoe, that number has changed.

According to Brant Allen, fisheries biologist with the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, “The original native game fish was the Lahontan cutthroat trout, which is no longer in the lake. But, there are still six native species of fish swimming in Tahoe.” The Lahontan cutthroat trout, named for the distinctive red streak under its chin, once topped Lake Tahoe’s food chain and weighed as much as 40 pounds. This fish thrived in the Tahoe Basin and migrated the length of the Truckee River between Tahoe and Pyramid Lake.

The native fish that still survive in Lake Tahoe include:

· The mountain whitefish (Prosopium willaimsoni) is Lake Tahoe’s only native game fish. It lives near the bottom to a depth of about 100 feet.

· The Lahontan redside shiner (Richardsonius egregious) is a native minnow that is abundant in the shallow shorezone and can usually be seen in large numbers around marinas and rock crib piers. It grows to 3 to 4 inches long.

· The Lahontan speckled dace (Rhinichthys osculus) is another native minnow that grows to about 2 to 3 inches long. It is difficult to find, as it seeks the cover of rocky substrate on the bottom of the lake.

· The tui chub (Gila bicolor) is a bottom-oriented chub that feeds on zooplankton or sediments on the bottom of the lake.

· The Tahoe sucker (Catostomus tahoensis) is a bottom feeder that grows to about 16 inches long.

· The Paiute sculpin (Cottus beldingi) grows to about 3 inches long. It lives under rocks and is rarely observed in less than 10 feet of water.

The native Lahontan cutthroat trout went extinct in Lake Tahoe in 1939, due in part to overfishing, competition with nonnative species, and the development of dams. In particular, Derby Dam below Reno and Sparks and the Tahoe Outlet Dam in Tahoe City isolated the Tahoe population of cutthroat trout from other populations within the historic range.

Beginning in the late 1800s, when the effects of human environmental changes had reduced the numbers of Lahontan cutthroat in the lake, humans began introducing nonnative fish species in hopes of increasing Tahoe’s yield of game fish. These introductions included lake trout from the Great Lakes, Chinook salmon, Atlantic salmon, golden trout, Arctic grayling, Great Lakes whitefish, brook trout, brown trout, and rainbow trout. Of these fish species, the lake trout, brown trout, brook trout, and rainbow trout were able to establish self-supporting populations in the Tahoe Basin.

In the 20th century, additional introductions of nonnative invertebrates and fish further altered the Tahoe Basin ecosystem. Using the best available science at the time, exotic species were introduced with the intention of adding a recreational component or supporting an existing fishery. Unfortunately, not all of the species behaved as expected in the clear, cold waters of the Tahoe Basin.

After 70 years of alteration, the aquatic ecosystem now supports nonnative lake trout (Mackinaw) as the top predator. They are accompanied by rainbow trout, brown trout and kokanee salmon, providing multiple recreational fishing opportunities for shallow and deep-line anglers. The native Lahontan cutthroat trout is now among the most endangered western salmonids. Fortunately, as noted above, the other six native Tahoe fish species have survived the planned exotic introductions and continue to thrive within the Tahoe Basin.

In recent years, new threats to Tahoe’s remaining native fish have arisen. A number of warm-water fish species have been illegally introduced to Lake Tahoe, including largemouth and smallmouth bass, crappie, and sunfish. While these fish are typically associated with warm-water environments, their populations are able to grow and spread within the Tahoe Basin. Taking advantage of seasonally warm water in bays and marinas, the fish feed on native minnows and successfully spawn.

Scientists from University of California Davis and University of Nevada Reno plan to study the potential expansion of these species, and with help from the USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, implement a plan for their control. “The warm-water invasive species appear to pose a great risk to Tahoe’s remaining native species,” states Brant Allen a research biologist for UC Davis. “Their ability to consume large numbers of fish and the apparent overlap with native minnow spawning areas is a big concern.”

Warm-water fish invasions are not new to California. Nearby Lake Davis continues to experience problems resulting from the illegal introduction of northern pike, a voracious predator. Controlling the spread of similar species in the Tahoe Basin could go a long way to preserving native fish and assist the recovery of Tahoe’s once great Lahontan cutthroat trout.

The Lake Tahoe Report is a collaboration between John Cobourn, Water Resource Specialist with University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, and Heather Segale, Education and Outreach Coordinator for the University of California, Davis. For more information, contact Heather Segale, (530) 583-3279, or logon to www.lteec.org, www.tahoe.unr.edu, or terc.ucdavis.edu.

last modified: January 10 2006

Bald Eagle Viewing More Likely During the Winter
Lake Tahoe Report #153
January 23, 2006
By Heather Segale and John Cobourn

Sighting a bald eagle is a magnificent experience, especially after the bald eagle’s near extinction in the not-so-distant past. The bald eagle population fell to endangered levels of less than 500 pairs in the early 1960s due to hunting, habitat loss and contamination of waterways and food sources by various pollutants and pesticides, most notably DDT.

There was a similar drop in eagle populations at Lake Tahoe during the late 1980s, when the two nest sites in the basin were both inactive. There are usually only one or two pairs of bald eagles in the Tahoe Basin during the summer. However, during the winter, bald eagles migrate to Tahoe because it is more temperate than Alaska and Canada. According to wildlife biologist Stewart McMorrow, “as many as 20 eagles have been counted in the Tahoe Basin during the winter months.”

Bald eagles live near large bodies of open water, such as lakes, marshes, seacoasts and rivers, where there are plenty of fish to eat and tall trees for nesting and roosting. Bald eagles feed primarily on fish, but also eat small animals, such as ducks, coots, muskrats, turtles, rabbits, and snakes. Occasionally, they also eat dead animals. They are a kind of predator called raptors. They swoop down to seize fish in their powerful, long and sharp talons. They exert approximately 1,000 pounds of pressure per square inch in each foot. They can carry their food off in flight, but can only lift about half their weight. Bald eagles can fly at speeds of about 65 miles per hour in level flight, and up to 150 or 200 miles per hour in a dive.

Bald eagles are monogamous and mate for life. A Bald eagle will only select another mate if its faithful companion dies. They build large nests, called eyries, at the top of sturdy, tall trees. The nests become larger as the eagles return to breed and add new nesting materials year after year. Bald eagles make their new nests an average of 2 feet deep and 5 feet wide. Eventually, some nests become 10 feet wide and weigh several tons. When a nest is destroyed by natural causes, it is often rebuilt nearby. Bald eagles line their nests with twigs, soft mosses, grasses and feathers.

The female lays one to three eggs each spring, which hatch after about 35 days of incubation. Feathers of newly hatched bald eaglets are light grey, and turn dark brown before they leave the nest in about 12 weeks. When they are 3 or 4 years old, bald eagles have mottled brown and white feathers under their wings and on their heads, tails and breasts. The distinctive white head and tail feathers do not appear until they are about 4 to 5 years old. Their beaks and eyes also turn from dark brown to yellow during this time.

Bald eagles are about 29 to 42 inches long, can weigh 7 to 15 pounds, and have a wingspan of 6 to 8 feet. This makes them one of the largest birds in North America. Females are larger than males, but both have white heads and tail feathers and yellow beaks.

The bald eagle is our national symbol, so when it became threatened with extinction in the 1960s, people took notice. Strong endangered species and environmental protection laws, as well as active private, state and federal conservation efforts, have brought back the bald eagle population from the edge of extinction in the United States. The use of DDT pesticide is now outlawed in the United States, which has contributed greatly to the return of the bald eagle to America's skies. There are now over 5,000 nesting pairs and 20,000 total birds in the lower 48 states. There are over 35,000 bald eagles in Alaska.

There are several other common raptors living at least part of the year in the Lake Tahoe Basin. One of the most common is the osprey, which is somewhat similar in appearance to the bald eagle, having white markings on its head and throat and a dark brown back and tail. It also preys mostly on fish. Most nests that you see in the Tahoe Basin are osprey nests. Sometimes eagles will steal freshly caught fish from the slightly smaller ospreys.

Forest hawks, which do not fish for food, include the sharp-shinned hawk, the Cooper’s hawk, and the northern goshawk. Such raptors are called accipiters. Other raptors in the Basin include the merlin, the great horned owl, the western screech owl, the flammulated owl, the northern Pigmy owl, the northern Saw-whet owl, and the rare California spotted owl. Red tail hawks also frequent Tahoe, and peregrine falcons sometimes pass through the region.

For more information about the birds of the Tahoe Basin, visit http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/ltbmu/recreation/wildlife/birds.shtml.

The Lake Tahoe Report is a collaboration between John Cobourn, Water Resource Specialist with University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, and Heather Segale, Education and Outreach Coordinator for the University of California, Davis. For more information, contact Heather Segale, (530) 583-3279, or logon to www.lteec.org, www.tahoe.unr.edu, or terc.ucdavis.edu.

last modified: January 23 2006

Lake of the Sky - The Lake Tahoe Story
A Robust Multimedia Presentation by David C. Antonucci

Amazing Facts and True Stories About Lake Tahoe:

Lake of the Sky — The Lake Tahoe Story brings the mysteries and science of Lake Tahoe to everyone. Using state of the art multimedia techniques, the viewer experiences an exciting and informative journey of discovery. Accompanied by live narration from a qualified environmental scientist, the audience will explore the mystique of Lake Tahoe. Participants will have greater understanding, leading to a deeper appreciation and lasting memories of Lake Tahoe.

Centered around the most frequently asked questions and mysteries of Lake Tahoe, the 45-minute presentation covers the Lake’s most fascinating and timely aspects. Viewers will learn about the natural forces that created Lake Tahoe and take a virtual dive into the underwater world. They will experience the pioneer movement, follow historic trails and live through Tahoe’s Gilded Age. Using simple and easy to understand concepts, scientific concerns are explained together with the future plans to protect the Lake. Live narration complemented by ample graphics, video and animation scenes make the presentation lively and interesting. The presentation is fully customizable to provide more detail or additional subjects of interest to the audience. Examples are recreation, geology, water resources and biological resources.

  • How was Lake Tahoe formed?
  • How large and deep is Lake Tahoe?
  • How much water is in Lake Tahoe?
  • Where does the water go?
  • Why is it so blue?
  • How cold is the water?
  • Does it ever freeze?
  • Is Lake Tahoe's clarity threatened?
  • What is the history of Tahoe?

Learn the answers to these and many more exciting facts about Lake Tahoe in Lake of the Sky — The Lake Tahoe Story.

Fees and Charges: Base fee is $295 for groups up to 150 persons in the Lake Tahoe area and includes audiovisual equipment and setup.
About the Presenter: David C. Antonucci is a 30-year resident of Lake Tahoe. He holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in environmental engineering. He has been directly involved with plans and activities to protect Lake Tahoe throughout his 32-year career and is considered an expert on Lake Tahoe environmental issues. He has served on many boards and organizations dedicated to visitor interpretation and preservation of Lake Tahoe.

Contact information:
David C. Antonucci
Phone: 530-525-5410
Fax: 530-525-7745
Email: dcantonucci@msn.com
P. O. Box 1050
7205 Antelope Way
Homewood, CA 96141-1050
last modified: January 24 2005

Spot a Knapweed, Win a Prize
If you spot the dreaded Spotted Knapweed at Tahoe you may win a prize. Maybe it`s time for a day trip to the lake?

Spotted knapweed is at the top of the hit list of a local group out to control noxious weeds in the Tahoe Basin. Because it’s in full bloom now, they’re asking residents to report sightings and call them in for tracking and treatment advice. The noxious weed is also making a foothold in the Truckee Meadows.

The Tahoe Basin Weed Coordinating Group describes spotted knapweed as a purple, aster-like flower with flower bracts that are spotted, growing 1 foot to 3 feet tall and blooming in mid- to late-summer. It is distinguishable from some other noxious weeds by its thornless, stickerless stems.

Although it doesn’t have thorns or stickers, the weed has many other undesirable qualities. It is highly competitive and reduces desirable and native plant communities, producing a substance that inhibits growth of other plants. It can also irritate human skin. Perhaps most important to the Tahoe Basin, it decreases water quality. A recent study found stream sediment was 192% higher at spotted knapweed-dominated sites than it was at bunchgrass-dominated sites. Stream sediment is a significant factor in reducing the clarity and quality of water both at Lake Tahoe and in the Truckee River.

According to Sue Donaldson, chair of the weed group and water quality education specialist at University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, each spotted knapweed plant can produce up to 18,000 seeds in one year. “So, it’s important to identify early infestation so they can be controlled. In Montana, it has already invaded over 4.5 million acres,” she said. “We still have a chance to control it here in Nevada, before it gets out of hand – that’s why it’s at the top of our list,” she said. Although it is native to Eurasia, it thrives in our Western climate, especially in rangeland and forest settings.

About 140 infestations have been identified in the Tahoe Basin.

The weed group is asking residents to be on the lookout for the weed. If you think you have spotted it, get an accurate description of t! he location, do not pull or treat the weed, and call to report the location to the group. The weed group has prizes for those who help find the weed. In Nevada, call Donaldson, (775) 784-4848.

last modified: July 22 2003

Parasol Community Collaboration Environment Team
By Rachel Sigman

Thanks to the innovative ideas and diligent work of the Parasol Foundation, North Lake Tahoe’s nonprofit community is growing bigger, stronger, and more effective with every passing day. The fountainhead of their work — the Donald W. Reynolds Community Non-Profit Center in Incline Village — provides office space for 12 “resident collaborator” organizations and enables over 80 “nonresident collaborator” organizations to use the center’s resources and facilities. The Parasol Foundation’s goal is that all member organizations will work cooperatively to improve existing services throughout Lake Tahoe communities, fill gaps in services currently offered, and increase the capacity for intergroup collaboration, thereby augmenting collaborator efficiency and effectiveness. To attain this goal, member organizations have formed the Parasol Community Collaboration (PCC). PCC members have formed teams to address community issues in the following four program areas: 1) Social Services, 2) Education, 3) The Regional Environment, and 4) Arts and Culture.

It should come as no surprise that shared environmental concerns unite a number of nonprofit groups around Lake Tahoe. The PCC Environment Team has brought together several of the key nonprofit groups from the larger Lake Tahoe Environmental Education Coalition (LTEEC). Using the excellent Community Needs Assessment compiled for the Parasol Foundation in 2000, this team has focused on assessing environmental services currently offered in the North Shore community. It has formulated a set of objectives and identified ways to track progress on addressing community needs.

Comprising representatives from LTEEC, Tahoe Rim Trail Association, UNR Cooperative Extension, The League to Save Lake Tahoe, Tahoe-Baikal Institute, Tahoe Area Sierra Club, Waste Not (Incline Village General Improvement District), Adopt-a-Watershed, Nevada Conservation Corps, North Lake Tahoe Demonstration Garden, and the Southwood Research Institute; the PCC Environment Team’s first task was to identify common themes in each group’s mission. The team derived objectives based on common environmental concerns including: efforts to protect, preserve and restore nature; promotion of watershed stewardship; reduction of erosion and improvement of lake clarity, and provision of environmental education. Team objectives include:

1. Increase number and effectiveness of collaborative educational events, including outings and lectures.
2. Increase number of properties with properly installed Best Management Practices (BMPs) to reduce runoff and erosion.
3. Provide and promote low-impact recreation, such as interpretive hikes.
4. Create and provide input for effective media campaign (public outreach).
5. Encourage collaborative fundraising for environmental programs.
6. Create and distribute an environmental “welcome packet” for visitors and new residents.

In addition to these six objectives, the PCC Environment Team recognizes the need to incorporate sound environmental education into our local public schools. We are also working with our newest member, The Southwood Research Institute, to develop an objective that addresses the impacts of environmental contamination on human health.

Like LTEEC itself, the PCC Environment Team is dedicated to advancing environmental work around the basin by providing a network of support and a means to improved communication to ensure that environmental groups continually seize opportunities for meaningful & productive collaboration.
To find out more about the PCC Environmental Team, feel free to contact any of the member organizations listed above or stop by the DWR Community Non-Profit Center in Incline Village.

last modified: June 17 2003

Erosion Control, Revegetation and Restoration Training Workshop
The Third Annual Erosion Control, Revegetation and Restoration Training Workshop was held June 6-8, 2001 in South Lake Tahoe. This workshop presented principles and methods of erosion control, revegetation, and stream and wetland restoration. With mornings in the classroom and afternoons in the field, more than 40 participants received hands-on experience revegetating an erosion site and stabilizing a streambank with biotechnical techniques.

Training workshops are taught by Steve Goldman and Michael Hogan and are sponsored by the California Conservation Corps and the Packard Foundation. LTEEC’s Citizen Restoration Working Group hopes to continue holding workshops annually and may expand the program to include sites in both California and Nevada.

The 2002 workshop dates will be announced soon. We are currently seeking funding to continue this valuable program.

last modified: June 18 2002

Tahoe Homeowners: Watch Out for These Dangerous Garden Runaways
By Ellen Swensen, Lake Tahoe Basin Weed Coordinating Group

The Lake Tahoe basin is being invaded by non-native, invasive weeds. These weeds are prolific, highly competitive, and hard to control. They displace native plants and decrease wildlife habitat. One of their biggest threats to Tahoe is their tendency to increase soil erosion and stream sedimentation, which can damage the lake’s famed, clear water quality.

Many of these weeds have accidentally been brought to this country from other parts of the world. They have spread into the Tahoe basin via many sources including cars, erosion-control straw bales, and domestic stock animals. However, many invasive weeds in Tahoe actually started out harmlessly as ornamental plants in home gardens! These “escaped ornamentals” have invaded neighboring gardens and vacant lots, and have moved into surrounding native areas, where they continue to thrive and spread.

There are several escaped ornamentals that currently threaten native areas at Tahoe. These include Dalmation toadflax, yellow toadflax, oxeye daisy, and Scotch broom.

Work closely with your local plant nursery or landscaper to select ornamentals that are safe to plant at Tahoe. Avoid using seed mixes and plants from catalogs not local to the Sierra. Try to select native plants whenever possible. In addition to the many environmental benefits of natives, they are usually not invasive. Work with your nursery on safe alternatives.

last modified: June 20 2003

The Fire Safe Council
The Fire Safe Council, a coalition of public and private sector organizations, was developed with the mission to preserve our natural and manmade resources by enlisting all community members to make their homes, neighborhoods and communities fire safe. The Council works to meet this goal by combining the expertise, resources and distribution channels of its members.

Many wildland ecosystems are fire dependent; they need fire to survive. Fire thins the vegetation, giving plants room to grow. It cracks seed casings and replenishes the soil, allowing new life to thrive. Learning to live with fire means protecting our community assets from potential wildfire damage.

A Fire Safe Council can:


  • Mobilize people in the community who stand to lose something of value in a fire.
  • Create a powerful group initiative.
  • Save lives, property and money from the effects of wildfire.


Local councils have made their communities safer places to live by:

  • Developing an emergency preparedness plan for the community before a wildfire occurs. This proactive measure minimizes loss of life, property, homes businesses, natural and historic areas, and other valuable assets at risk of being destroyed by wildfire.
  • Providing an opportunity for community residents and organizations to voice concerns about public safety issues and protecting economic interests in the community.
  • Increasing the chances that homes in the community will continue to be insured. Insurance companies assess the potential liability of a community’s ability to survive a wildfire before writing insurance policies. In some areas, Fire Safe Councils have involved insurers in increasing community safety, which has resulted in continued commitments by insurance companies to keep their business in town.


For more information contact:
www.firewise.org (FireWise)
www.cafirealliance.org (California Fire Alliance)
www.firesafecouncil.org (National Fire Safe Council)
last modified: June 20 2003

Volunteers Needed: Get Involved With LTEEC
Improving environmental education in the Tahoe Basin will require the work of many diligent volunteers and a coordinated effort among agencies working together on programs and projects.

There are many ways to get involved. A few examples include: environmental education events, K-12 programs, stream monitoring, restoration projects, backyard conservation, storm drain stenciling, forest stewardship days, and beach clean-up days.

Currently, "Neighborhood Leaders" are needed to help share information with local residents about Best Management Practices and erosion control. Training will provide valuable information about landscaping in the Tahoe Basin, erosion prevention, managing runoff, fertilizer use, recycling, composting and defensible space. Other jobs open to volunteers include organizing block parties, making phone calls, distributing door hangers, entering computer data, or actual physical labor.

Call Heather Segale at the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension office, (775) 832-4138, if you are interested in volunteer programs or if you would like to tie your organization into these regional environmental education efforts.

last modified: June 25 2002

Group Targets “Triple Threat” Weeds
The Tahoe Basin Weed Coordinating Group, a multiagency coalition of invasive weed experts, is asking the public’s help in identifying and reporting sightings of three invasive weeds emerging in the Tahoe Basin.

Invasive weeds are nonnative plants that are prolific, highly competitive, and difficult to control. They displace native plants, decrease wildlife habitat, alter normal ecological processes, reduce recreational values, and cost us millions of dollars each year in treatment and production losses.

In the Tahoe Basin, one of the biggest threats from invasive weeds is their tendency to increase soil erosion and stream sedimentation, which can damage Tahoe’s famed water quality.

While the Weed Coordinating Group is working to control all invasive weeds in the Basin, it is especially interested in finding new infestations of three particularly dangerous weeds, which the group has dubbed “Tahoe’s Triple Threat.” These weeds are Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea maculosa), Yellow Starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis), and Diffuse Knapweed (Centaurea diffusa).

If you think you have found any of these weeds in or around the Tahoe Basin: 1) get an accurate description of the location, 2) do not pull or treat the weed, and 3) report the sighting to the appropriate county contact listed below.

Douglas Co., NV - Douglas Co. Weed District, (775) 782-9835
Washoe Co., NV- UNR Cooperative Extension, (775) 784-4848
Nevada Co., CA - Agricultural Commissioner, (530) 273-2648
Placer Co., CA - Agricultural Commissioner, (530) 889-7372
El Dorado Co., CA - Agricultural Commissioner, (530) 273-2648

View the Priority Invasive Weeds to Watch For in the Tahoe Basin for photos of these invasive weeds.

last modified: June 25 2002

Tahoe Basin Community Wildfire Protection Plans, California side
Tahoe Basin Community Wildfire Protection Plans, California side, are now available at http://www.geoarchsciences.com/catahoe/plan.htm.

last modified: March 28 2005

Make a Difference on National Water Monitoring Day
Mark the Year of Clean Water and 30th anniversary of the Clean Water Act with a real hands-on project that can make a difference in your community.

Measure the health of your local waters on National Water Monitoring Day, Oct. 18. Join thousands of students, families, and community groups as volunteer monitors, and test the quality of your local water resources. Participation is easy and fun. Your results can be submitted to the national Clean Water Data Collection Site. You'll be able to compare the health of your water with water from hundreds of sites around the nation.

With your participation, National Water Monitoring Day can be a force for mobilizing citizens' support for better clean water programs, improved local stewardship, and greater public involvement in local environmental issues beyond just clean water.
Teachers, join the Earth Day Education Program and receive a free guide on how to use National Water Monitoring Day in your lesson plans to teach environmental science, citizenship skills, and offer your students an opportunity to do community service.
Need a water testing kit? Low-cost Year of Clean Water test kits are available for purchase. Each kit includes materials for 50 tests. Use of this specific kit is not a requirement for participation in the program.

On October 18, volunteer monitoring programs, water quality agencies, students, and the general public will test for temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity and enter their results into a national database. Data will be publicly available at http://yearofcleanwater.org/. The Year of Clean Water will also feature educational events, water festivals, and widespread press coverage. To register test sites, order low-cost water testing kits, or find out more about Year of Clean Water events, visit http://yearofcleanwater.org/.

LTEEC encourages all its members, organizations and agencies to participate in National Water Monitoring Day. Test kits are available for loan by contacting Heather Segale, (775) 832-4138.

last modified: October 14 2002