Photo: Peter Spain, tahoespain.com |
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Our 2022 accomplishments & 2023 objectives |
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With your help, many of the League's long-running advocacy efforts came to life this year, and each one made a big splash. They ranged from transportation improvements, to protections against bad development, to science-based approaches to tackle invasive species.
Scroll down to read about three of the victories you made possible in 2022, as well as our goals to protect and restore Lake Tahoe next year. If you'd like to know more about what we've accomplished or what we have planned, please get in touch.
As always, our lake-saving work is only possible with your support. Thank you for doing your part to Keep Tahoe Blue.
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Defended Tahoe From
Damaging Development
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Martis Valley West was a 760-unit residential project planned
for a virgin ridgeline overlooking Lake Tahoe's north shore. It would have generated pollution from traffic, wildfire danger and degraded Tahoe’s scenic beauty.
After a decade-long legal fight, a court ruled in favor of the League and our conservation partners in February 2022. The ruling is a crucial milestone that can protect Tahoe from oversized, improper development, and from developers who try to game the system by locating projects just beyond the basin’s boundaries and its strict environmental rules.
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The public’s rediscovered enthusiasm for the great outdoors, coupled with the rapid march of climate change, creates new challenges for Tahoe and demands new solutions.
The League is expanding our knowledge base by reaching out to conservation groups and governments around the world to exchange ideas, share experiences and put solutions on the ground.
Building on our relationship with the Washoe Tribe, we will use lessons learned from our 2022 trip to Australia to apply indigenous knowledge and improve forest health in the Tahoe Basin. That work has a head start thanks to our success in securing funding for forest health by lobbying alongside the California Tahoe Conservancy in 2022.
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Launched Microtransit
for the South Shore
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Tailpipe emissions and erosion caused by traffic damage Tahoe’s water clarity. Alternative transportation options like free, on-demand shuttles entice people to keep their cars parked and spare the lake.
The League first brought the microtransit concept to Tahoe in 2018 by launching our own pilot project. In 2019, we secured significant funding and transit improvement requirements from the Tahoe South Event Center for a new south shore service: Lake Link. We helped raise additional funds to launch the service before the Event Center opens in 2023, and we donated $100,000 for staffing and marketing, following a lesson learned from our 2018 pilot.
In its first few months starting in July 2022, Lake Link has been a success with 42,000 passengers taking rides.
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In 2022, the League introduced a beach-cleaning robot that can act as a last line of defense against micro-trash. The new technology was rolled out to stop tiny, hidden pieces of litter from getting into Lake Tahoe, where they are all but impossible to remove.
Through a partnership with ECO-CLEAN Solutions, property owners and land managers, the “BEBOT” was deployed at 11 public and private beach sites in a strategic pilot test that delivered actionable lessons and data.
For 2023, the League is working to have the BEBOT clean entire beaches on a regular, recurring basis, and apply data about the trash it gathered to devise policy solutions that prevent litter.
As microplastics are an emerging threat to Lake Tahoe’s water quality, the BEBOT serves as another barrier to prevent plastics from entering Lake Tahoe.
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Completed First Year of Invasive Species Solutions Test |
The Tahoe Keys are ground zero for the infestation of aquatic invasive weeds at Tahoe, and the threat is spreading, damaging Tahoe’s delicate ecology.
After nearly a decade of planning, the League’s leadership, funding and coalition-building efforts have guided the Tahoe Keys Control Methods Test (CMT) through one complete year of the three-year process. The CMT is an innovative and comprehensive test to identify a safe, long-term solution to control Tahoe’s largest weed infestation and protect water quality lakewide.
Preliminary results from year one of the CMT show promise in the battle against aquatic invasive weeds. A comprehensive report on year one is expected at the beginning of 2023.
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Preventing New Infestations |
As the test to find a long-term solution for aquatic invasive weeds moves ahead, the League is focused on stopping the plants from spreading in 2023.
Bubble curtains are a useful tool for weed containment, first introduced to Tahoe by the League. We lead an interagency team that monitors and manages all bubble curtains in Lake Tahoe, with the 2023 goal of improving their efficacy through design and implementation changes. We also developed the Early Detection and Rapid Response process with our partner agencies, which enlists Tahoe marinas to help us identify and remove invasive species quickly.
In 2023, we are planning to deploy new technologies and focusing on the main ways weeds spread – in marinas and on boats – to stop infestations before they start.
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WE'RE KEEPING AN EYE ON IT:
Upcoming Projects and Programs
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The League is involved with all important issues in Tahoe from start to finish. Here’s a list of programs, projects and initiatives we’re tracking closely.
Palisades Tahoe's prior attempt to build a village in Olympic Valley was blocked by a court of appeals, who ruled that the project's Environmental Impact Report (EIR) failed to adequately include impacts on Lake Tahoe, fire danger, noise and traffic. That EIR has been amended and resubmitted, showing Palisades' renewed intent to develop the valley.
The property owner, EKN Development Group, submitted revised plans to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) in October. The new plans claim reduced environmental impacts compared to the plans approved for the property in 2011. TRPA did not commit to a timeline to complete its review of the plans, but the agency did state it will require an updated study on the project's transportation needs and impacts.
Washoe and Placer counties, along with the City of South Lake Tahoe, are seeking approvals from TRPA to amend their area plans. Area plans are long-range planning documents created by individual jurisdictions to apply TRPA's environmental thresholds at the local level. The three proposed amendment packages are different, and the League is tracking each one.
Multiple Development Projects
Two dozen building projects are working their way through review and planning processes around the Lake Tahoe Basin. The projects range from condos and hotel redevelopment, to new building at ski resorts. The League's policy team is watching each one closely and engaging with decision makers to keep the lake from harm.
The League is closely following a plan to restore Meeks Creek to a more natural condition, while continuing to support sustainable recreation opportunities. This project would restore 68 acres of a stream channel, wetland, lagoon and barrier beach habitat while providing a site for non-motorized recreation.
California State Parks is leading a project to reconfigure the golf course along the Upper Truckee River, which includes river restoration, a reduced footprint 18-hole golf course and public access to the State Park. The League is working closely with partners to ensure this project results in restoration benefits and reductions in erosion for the Upper Truckee River.
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Dec. 18 is the deadline for holiday gift orders! |
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Don't let your loved ones miss out on a special holiday gift – like our plush, organic cotton beanies – that serve a worthy cause.
Your purchase not only supports the League's lake-saving work and keeps your head nice and toasty, it also plants two trees for every beanie sold, thanks to Rustek Collective and the Eden Reforestation Project.
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Since the League was founded in 1957, our efforts to Keep Tahoe Blue have depended on the generosity of our members and supporters. They still do.
Help us celebrate our 65th anniversary by making a donation. Thank you.
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