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L to R: Northern goshawk, pika, willow flycatcher, black bear, snow plant, yellow-bellied marmot.
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This year marks the 49th anniversary of Earth Day.
Since Earth Day was founded in 1970, the League to Save Lake Tahoe has used April 22nd as a time to educate the public about why the Lake deserves our protection, as well as what personal actions can be taken to Keep Tahoe Blue. This year is no different.
The global theme for this year’s Earth Day is “Protect Our Species.” Here in Tahoe that means protecting black bears, Northern goshawks, yellow-bellied marmots, mountain yellow-legged frogs, mountain whitefish, pikas, willow flycatchers, Lahontan cutthroat trout, snow plant, Tahoe yellow-cress and the full array of species that make up the Tahoe Basin ecosystem.
Starting on April 26th, the League will take to social media to share facts on important Tahoe species. Join us in our efforts to increase understanding and highlight the importance of restoring Lake Tahoe and protecting its water clarity by liking, commenting and sharing our posts on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Your online actions can help raise awareness during Earth Week and highlight how Lake Tahoe is beloved not just by us, but also by a diverse range of plants and animals.
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Citizen Science "Protects our Species"
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The League’s citizen science programs give volunteers the chance to collect important data and collaborate with professional scientists to protect Lake Tahoe’s diverse species. Our programs run year round, but Earth Month is the perfect time to get involved in one of our three active citizen science programs.
- Eyes on the Lake: Eyes on the Lake is the League's volunteer citizen science program to help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive plants in Lake Tahoe and surrounding waters. Aquatic invasive plants alter Tahoe’s aquatic environment by crowding out native plants and creating hospitable environments for other invasive species, like bullfrogs and warmwater fish. If you are a water lover in Tahoe (beachgoer, swimmer, paddler, SCUBA diver, boater) and want to help ensure Tahoe's waters stay clear and pristine, then Eyes on the Lake is for you. Volunteers identify and report on aquatic invasive plants they find in and around Tahoe, helping us catch them before they can spread to other parts of the Lake. Help protect Lake Tahoe while you play!
- Pipe Keepers: Pipe Keepers is a citizen science program to address the threat of stormwater pollution entering Lake Tahoe. Runoff from rain storms and snowmelt is the largest source of fine sediment pollution that degrades Lake clarity. More than just impacting the aesthetics of Lake Tahoe, clarity loss is impacting rare and unique insects that live only at the bottom of Lake Tahoe and nowhere else. League staff will train volunteers to survey stormwater infrastructure including pipes and stormdrains found all throughout the city.
- Snapshot Day: Snapshot Day is a citizen science event each May that captures a "snapshot" of the water quality of the Tahoe-Truckee Watershed. Volunteers on the South Shore meet at Lake Tahoe Community College Creekside Room Saturday, May 18 at 9 am, and venture out to pre-determined sites at local streams and lakes throughout South Tahoe to collect water quality data. The data collected will be used to prioritize restoration projects and for overall watershed protection. RSVP to Snapshot Day!
Each of our citizen science programs provide valuable data to our Natural Resource Team, who then analyzes and shares that data with the appropriate agencies, governments and organizations to drive positive change and to ensure Lake Tahoe is resilient to the impacts of a changing climate.
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The Lake Tahoe Partnership. From L to R: Mike Goar, Heavenly Valley Ski Resorts, Darcie Goodman Collins, Ph.D., League to Save Lake Tahoe, Kim Caringer, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA), Julie Regan, TRPA, and Steve Teshara, Sustainable Business Advocates.
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Report: Advocating for Lake Tahoe
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The League to Save Lake Tahoe’s CEO Darcie Goodman Collins, Ph.D. recently traveled to Washington, D.C. to advocate for Lake Tahoe as part of the Lake Tahoe Partnership.
The League formed the Lake Tahoe Partnership in the 1990s to more effectively lobby for Lake Tahoe on a national level. Members include representatives from business, the ski industry, government, the scientific community, and the environmental community.
Under the League’s guidance, the Lake Tahoe Partnership secured significant wins for the Lake. One such win was the passage of The Lake Tahoe Restoration Act in 2000, which funded major restoration projects throughout the Tahoe Basin. Another win occurred in 2016 when President Obama re-funded the Act by authorizing $415 million to restoration, research, aquatic invasive species control, and wildfire prevention in Lake Tahoe.
Around the same time the Partnership formed, the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program (EIP) was formed to allow federal, state, local agencies, private interests, and the Washoe Tribe to contribute funding to efforts aimed at protecting Lake Tahoe’s iconic clarity. This collaborative model created a streamlined way for different agencies and organizations to fund Lake Tahoe restoration projects together.
Today the League remains committed to the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act, which is critical to the League’s efforts to protect and restore Lake Tahoe's clarity. The League is focused on ensuring that funding continues to be allocated to critical environmental programs. "We are the voice of Lake Tahoe on the Hill," said Collins. "It is our role to convince members of congress on both sides of the aisle to support restoration efforts in Lake Tahoe so that this beautiful blue dot on the map remains a national treasure."
Only $15 million of the $415 million authorized in the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act has been appropriated in this year’s budget. This is not enough to fund the large-scale restoration needed to ensure Lake Tahoe is protected in the face of threats like pollution, climate change, increased visitation and wildfires. In 2019, the League will continue to push congress to fund the Act and work to advance our programs to protect Lake Tahoe’s clear, blue waters.
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State Route 89 recreation plan to address traffic, experiences and parking
March 11,
South Tahoe Now
Giving people a positive experience as they travel along the west shore of Lake Tahoe will require removing congestion from the roadway is one of the goals of the State Route 89 Recreation Corridor Management Plan.
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Public input needed as South Lake Tahoe considers revitalization project
March 7,
News 4
The City of South Lake Tahoe is looking for public input ahead of a major revitalization campaign aimed at the city's core.
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Wednesday, April 17 | 2- 4 pm
North Tahoe Event Center, Kings Beach, CA
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Saturday, April 20 | 11 am - 5 pm
Village at Squaw Valley | Olympic Valley, CA
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South Lake Tahoe Earth Day Community Cleanup and Festival
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Monday, April 22 | Cleanup 9 am - noon | Environmental Booths noon - 3:30 pm | Climate Change Movie 4 - 6:30 pm Heavenly Village, 1001 Heavenly Village Way
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South Lake Tahoe Earth Day Celebration
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Saturday, April 27 | 10 am - 3 pm
Bijou Community Park, South Lake Tahoe, CA
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14th annual Wild and Scenic Film Festival
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Saturday, April 27 | Doors open at 6 pm, film starts at 6:30 pm
Harrah's Lake Tahoe | Stateline, NV
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Snapshot Day Team Leader Training
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Thursday, May 9 | 5 - 7 pm
League to Save Lake Tahoe Office | South Lake Tahoe, CA
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Saturday, May 18 | 9 am - noon
Meet at Lake Tahoe Community College
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Go green this Earth Day, literally! Our new Grass Green Logo Tee is made from 100 percent recycled materials. It’s so soft you won’t believe you’re wearing a 50/50 blend of post-consumer recycled plastic and upcycled cotton. Grab a shirt today in our Education Center and Store or online at
shop.keeptahoeblue.org/shop/product/?PID=434
. Each purchase helps protect the Lake Tahoe, now and for future generations.
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Clarity photo by Dylan Silver, tahoeclarity.com
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