Keep Tahoe Blue Advocacy Update |
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Our advocacy, policy and science experts keep a watchful eye on projects and plans that may impact the health and clarity of Lake Tahoe. We engage, collaborate and speak on behalf of the Lake to ensure we Keep Tahoe Blue.
We do this important work through our three campaigns: Advance Restoration, Combat Pollution and Tackle Invasive Species. Scroll down to read about a few projects we're working on now.
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ADVANCE RESTORATION:
Bill Introduced to Extend Lake Tahoe Restoration Act
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What is it? In 1997, President Clinton and Vice President Gore made a very important visit to Tahoe, fulfilling a multi-year effort by the League to bring federal attention – and dollars – to address Tahoe’s environmental challenges. Their visit, and the national and international attention that came with them, built momentum that led to the passage of the 2000 Lake Tahoe Restoration Act and $300 million in funding for Tahoe environmental projects.
In 2016, President Obama signed legislation that included the second Lake Tahoe Restoration Act (LTRA), which authorized an additional $415 million for habitat restoration, research, aquatic invasive species and wildfire prevention at Lake Tahoe through 2023. However, a majority of the funds made available by the 2016 LTRA have not yet actually been allocated, or delivered, to Tahoe.
The League, our advocacy partners and Tahoe’s federal delegation of elected representatives are working to ensure Tahoe doesn’t miss out on those needed funds.
Where is it in the process? Earlier this month, U.S. Senator Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) introduced legislation to extend the authorization of the 2016 Lake Tahoe Restoration Act, which would keep available until 2034 hundreds of millions of approved but unallocated funds for Tahoe. These funds will help finish crucial environmental work and make Tahoe resilient in the face of unprecedented impacts from climate change, including catastrophic wildfire. The bill was supported unanimously by Tahoe’s federal delegation in both houses of Congress, along with other long-time Tahoe champions.
What’s next? The reauthorization bill was referred to a congressional committee days ago. It will need to pass out of committee and be approved by both houses of Congress before it can be signed into law. If the bill is reauthorized, our focus will turn to getting the funds allocated for environmental improvement projects in Tahoe.
What is the League’s position? SUPPORT
For decades, the League has been a strong advocate and vocal champion for channeling federal funding to Tahoe. As a member of the Tahoe Partnership, alongside colleagues from the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and Tahoe Chamber, we make numerous trips to Washington D.C. each year to lobby for Tahoe and ensure money makes it to projects on the ground. We will continue to urge our federal delegation to use new and trusted paths to ensure Tahoe gets the support it needs. We’d like to thank our elected officials for their commitment to Keep Tahoe Blue: Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen of Nevada, and Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla of California; Representatives Kevin Kiley and John Garamendi of California, and Mark Amodei, Susie Lee, Dina Titus and Steven Horsford of Nevada.
Climate connection: Funding from the Lake Tahoe Restoration Acts has enabled projects that make Tahoe better able to withstand the impacts of climate change – including extreme wildfire and drought – through forest management work and revitalization of ecosystems and their functions.
More information:
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ADVANCE RESTORATION:
Meeks Bay Restoration Project
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What is it? The Meeks Bay Restoration Project will restore degraded habitat in Meeks Lagoon and Meeks Creek, and remove the shuttered marina, while maintaining recreation access. The overall goal of the project is to restore a functioning stream, barrier beach and lagoon ecosystem – including addressing aquatic invasive species – and to provide sustainable recreation opportunities, education, and access.
The Meeks Creek watershed, located on Lake Tahoe’s west shore, includes approximately 68 acres of severely impacted habitat. Before the marina was created by dredging the lagoon in the 1960s, the Meeks Creek and Lagoon system provided important habitat for native fish, as well as ecosystem functions that kept fine sediment pollution out of Lake Tahoe.
In 2016, the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board, US Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, and the Washoe Tribe partnered to begin work on a full restoration of the Meeks Creek watershed.
Where is it in the process? In 2018, initial work to outline the scope of an environmental study for the project was completed. In 2020, the project team shared design alternatives for the project with the public, including various options for pedestrian paths and watercraft access. In 2022, the project’s Draft Environmental Impact Report/Statement (DEIR/DEIS) was circulated for public review and comment. The DEIR/DEIS included a designated "Preferred Alternative" for the project design, which prioritized access for non-motorized watercraft and full restoration of Meeks Creek and Lagoon. The League supports the Preferred Alternative.
The League is helping guide the development of the EIR/EIS and final restoration as a member of the project’s stakeholder committee. Our team has been actively engaged in the project design from the start.
Now, proposed changes for the Highway 89 bridge that crosses Meeks Creek is being considered in the project with Caltrans.
What’s next? The bridge component will provide additional recreational opportunities for paddlers, as well as improved fish passage through the creek and lagoon. The process to review and approve the Caltrans infrastructure upgrade may delay the release of the project’s final EIR/EIS.
What is the League’s position? SUPPORT
The League is very supportive of this rare opportunity for restoration of a complete ecosystem that will also remove the existing marina infrastructure and support ongoing efforts by the Washoe Tribe and US Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit to restore the natural functions of Meeks Meadow and Meeks Creek. We do not support a pier as part of this project and advocated against it. A pier would have invited more motorized watercraft traffic and generated conflict with paddlers, swimmers and other non-motorized users.
Climate connection: Landscape-scale restoration projects, which seek to revitalize entire functioning ecosystems, build Tahoe’s resilience and allow it to better withstand environmental shocks from climate change such as drought and wildfire. This project is an unparalleled opportunity for restoration of an aquatic ecosystem that is uncommon in Tahoe. Restoration of this ecosystem and others like it should be prioritized to help build climate change resilience while reducing fine sediment pollution entering Lake Tahoe.
More information:
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COMBAT POLLUTION:
Palisades Tahoe Development Plan
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What is it? The plan from Alterra Mountain Company and Palisades Tahoe to develop Olympic Valley involves the creation of up to an 850-room hotel, condominium and residential units, a 90,000 square-foot indoor adventure center, and more than 2,000 parking spaces among other uses, for a total of just under 300,000 square feet of commercial development.
Based on the project’s own traffic study, it would add 3,300 new daily car trips to Tahoe traffic. Yet, it would do nothing to mitigate those impacts on congestion, access limitations for local communities, or the environment. Private car travel is recognized as one of the main drivers of clarity loss in Lake Tahoe due to tailpipe emissions, road degradation and sediment runoff, and microplastic pollution from wear and tear on tires.
Proponents are relying on the assumption that because the project is located outside the Tahoe Basin (a mere 4.75 miles from the Lake Tahoe shoreline), it is not subject to the strict environmental regulations that apply to in-Basin developments, even though it will inevitably create impacts to Tahoe.
Where is it in the process? The project, now known as the Village at Palisades Tahoe Specific Plan, was originally submitted to Placer County in 2012, approved by the County’s Board of Supervisors in 2016, and sued immediately thereafter by the conservation group Sierra Watch.
In August 2021, a California appellate court ruled in favor of the conservationists on a few issues. The one of most concern to the League is that the project’s Environmental Impact Report (EIR) did not sufficiently analyze the impacts to Tahoe, or provide any mitigation for them. As a result of the legal decision, the Palisades project’s approvals were rescinded.
However, in late 2022, the proponents resubmitted the plan with a slightly revised EIR, but without any major changes to the project’s size and scale, and without proposing any new mitigations for impacts to Tahoe.
What’s next? Following a January 2023 public comment period for the project’s Revised Environmental Impact Report – which is nearly identical to the original – Placer County staff and Board of Supervisors are now reviewing the project documents and will decide to approve or reject the project later in 2023. The process will include public hearings and meetings. If approved, the project is likely to be sued.
To prevent negative impacts to the Lake, the League is not taking any tools or potential actions off the table.
What is the League’s position? OPPOSE
The League opposed the same project when it was proposed in 2012, and continued to oppose it as it was approved by Placer County in 2016. We continue to oppose the Project in this, its most recent iteration. Consistent with our 2012 concerns – still unaddressed – the League’s opposition is due to the significant, unanalyzed, and unmitigated impacts to Lake Tahoe’s environment. Furthermore, the context has changed considerably since 2012: local climate change impacts have become more intense, there have been a rash of extreme wildfires, traffic and visitation have both increased, and Tahoe and Placer county have updated rules to limit vehicle miles traveled (VMT) that are being ignored.
Projects that negatively impact the Lake, even if they are outside the physical boundary of the Tahoe Basin, must still address such impacts. For the sake of the Lake, we are dedicated to ensuring that increases in traffic from proposals like this one are eliminated or the developer puts mitigations in place to prevent negative environmental impacts.
League staff has and will continue to meet with the project proponents, Placer County officials, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency officials, and the conservation groups engaged with the project. We will remain heavily involved in the process to ensure Lake Tahoe is protected.
Climate connection: The Palisades project would generate a substantial amount of new traffic, triggering erosion and tailpipe emissions that are known to impact Lake Tahoe’s water clarity and accelerate climate change. The League focuses on combating pollution by preventing new sources of traffic and creating Lake-friendly transportation alternatives to get to and around the Tahoe Basin.
More information:
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COMBAT POLLUTION:
League’s New Environment & Education Center Project
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What is it? The League is currently redeveloping the former professional building located at the busy intersection of Lake Tahoe Boulevard and Al Tahoe Boulevard in South Lake Tahoe. It will serve as a focal point for community engagement centered on environmental stewardship, as well as the League’s new headquarters.
The project is designed to be the Tahoe Basin’s premiere environmental facility and a hub for collaboration, volunteering, and immersive environmental education. The site will feature an outdoor amphitheater, native plant educational garden, citizen science laboratory, and environmental center open to the public.
Crucial to the project design, the ongoing renovations will create South Lake Tahoe’s only LEED-certified office building and serve as a showcase of Lake-friendly redevelopment.
Where is it in the process? The property at 2877 Lake Tahoe Boulevard was acquired in November 2020 after four years of careful financial planning and consultation with industry professionals. Interior demolition of the current building began in late 2022. Renovations began in early 2023 and are still underway.
What’s next? To realize the vision for the new environment and education center, the League launched a capital campaign that has been met with a huge outpouring of support. That includes an initial $1.6 million from cornerstone private donors, as well as generous in-kind contributions from Meeks Lumber & Hardware and Fireclay Tile.
The League has set the goal of raising an additional $1 million by November 2023 to bring the project to fruition, and is inviting Tahoe enthusiasts to contribute what they can.
What is the League’s position? SUPPORT
As the Basin’s environmental watchdog and chief proponent of sustainable urban redevelopment, we are leading by example by following the Basin’s robust environmental regulations, from design and permitting through to construction.
We're working to limit the project's impacts by using locally sourced and sustainable elements throughout, such as reclaimed timber from the Caldor Fire. Ward | Young Architecture & Planning and Sierra Sustainable Builders, both area businesses, are leading the project using a local workforce. Landscaping will feature native plants, and the Washoe Tribe will be involved in the design and utilization of the educational garden. The property will be a walkable and bikeable destination that can be visited without a car. It is located on the cross-town bike path and bus route, with easy access to Lake Link microtransit service and EV charging.
Together, these features will showcase what’s possible through Lake-friendly urban redevelopment.
Climate connection: New development projects in Tahoe can be a source of environmental benefit if they are designed according to the Basin’s environmental rules and regulations. The League is a proponent of siting projects within urban centers, ideally where buildings already exist. This “redevelopment” can undo lingering impacts from bad, past construction. It can also avoid new impacts from building on virgin land away from infrastructure, where things like creating new car trips contributes to climate change.
More information:
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TACKLE INVASIVE SPECIES:
Tahoe Keys Control Methods Test - Year One Preliminary Report
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What is it? The Control Methods Test (CMT) is a three-year, science-based program to test a suite of treatment methods, alone and in combination, to control an infestation of aquatic invasive weeds in targeted areas within the Tahoe Keys. The results will guide a long-term strategy to address Tahoe’s most threatening invasive species infestation, stop its spread to Lake Tahoe, and help protect water quality and clarity across the entire Lake.
After nearly a decade of planning and preparation, the League’s leadership, funding and coalition-building efforts have helped guide the CMT through the completion of the first year of tests. A report released in February shared preliminary results from the testing thus far.
Where is it in the process? Year one of the CMT was completed in late summer 2022. During the test phase, more than 75,000 data points were collected by the project's monitoring team, made up of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and Tahoe Keys Property Owners Association. While complete analysis of the environmental data will be released this month, several key outcomes have surfaced, including:
- Herbicide and UV light treatments were effective in knocking back (reducing) the invasive weeds, substantially increasing the relative presence of native plants.
- Herbicides were successfully contained. No herbicides or their degradants reached anywhere near the Tahoe Keys West Channel that connects with Lake Tahoe.
- Treatment with laminar flow aeration (LFA) did not show reductions in target invasive weeds, but the method will continue to be used to determine its long-term effectiveness in controlling weed growth.
What’s next? Planning for year two of the CMT is underway. The goals of the tests planned for this summer are to maintain the weed knock-back levels achieved in year one with non-herbicide tools only, and to monitor the efficacy of LFA, an element of the test supported by League funding. There will be no herbicide applications or boating restrictions in the Tahoe Keys lagoons as part of this summer’s tests.
What is the League’s position? SUPPORT
Aquatic invasive species are the single largest ecological threat to Lake Tahoe and must be put in check. We support the CMT because the status quo has failed to control the problem, the test will help inform a long-term invasive weed control strategy, and its design is firmly founded in the best available science.
The League has been heavily involved in planning and execution of the CMT. It has been our priority to ensure that the process is guided by and adheres to the best available science to protect Tahoe’s water quality. Our team of experts will ensure that year two of the CMT is executed safely and with long-term invasive species control at the forefront.
Climate connection: Climate change is creating more hospitable habitat for aquatic invasive species in Lake Tahoe. Prolonged drought lowers Tahoe’s water level, expanding areas of shallow water that warm easily and allow invasive weeds to flourish.
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TACKLE INVASIVE SPECIES:
Information Sharing on Algae and Harmful Algal Blooms
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What is it? In the summer of 2022, the prevalence of algae and increased reports of harmful algal blooms (HABs) drove an increase in public concern and questions about algae’s and HABs’ impact on the health of people, animals and the Lake. Algae naturally occurs in Lake Tahoe and can be found clinging to rocks and washing up on beaches. It does not pose a health risk to people or animals. HABs, however, do pose a risk and are often mistaken for the Lake’s benign types of algae.
In response to an uptick in inquiries and confusion between algae and HABs, the League to Save Lake Tahoe and the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board worked together to share information with the public. Lahontan staff commended the League for the collaboration at a recent meeting of its Board of Directors.
In social media and a press release, the two organizations provided information to define and distinguish HABs from Tahoe’s safe algae, explained the meaning of public signage related to HAB advisory levels (Caution, Warning, Danger), and recounted where HABs had been detected that summer. The press release reached a broad audience through publication with several local news outlets and sharing through the League’s subscriber network.
Where is it in the process? Information on HABs and algae was shared with the public before Labor Day, 2022, and in the first week of October, looking back on the Lake’s summer season.
What’s next? For the summer of 2023, Lahontan and the League will continue to share HAB information and updates to keep the public informed and aware. That will include a forthcoming interactive StoryMap, which Lahontan is designing with input from League staff. We are also working on a water quality testing program for HABs involving citizen scientists.
What is the League’s position? SUPPORT
Informing and educating the public about natural occurrences in Lake Tahoe is central to the League’s mission. The more the public knows, the better they’re able to enjoy and protect the Lake and themselves. Our staff is happy to have a collaborative relationship with Lahontan that facilitates communicating important water quality information with Tahoe enthusiasts. We look forward to furthering this work in 2023.
Climate connection: Warm, shallow, nutrient-rich waters in Lake Tahoe are the perfect habitat for harmful algal blooms to grow. Climate change is driving prolonged drought, which lowers and warms Tahoe’s waters, as well as intense weather events that can flush nutrients from streams and wetlands into the Lake. These conditions are conducive for HABs. Their presence can make the water dangerous for people or pets.
More information:
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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 other programs and initiatives we’re tracking closely.
- Our expert staff is proactively engaged with project proponents, developers and local governments while we wait for official project plans to be submitted. Our approach is to be involved early and often to help make the projects as Lake-friendly as possible.
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Several possible alignments (routes) for this new stretch of the West Shore Trail were shared with the public in 2021 and 2022 to solicit community feedback. Based on that input, a preferred alignment was selected, and the project is now moving into the environmental review phase. The trail is part of the State Route 89 Corridor Management Plan.
- Placer County is seeking approval from TRPA to amend its area plan. Area plans are long-range planning documents created by individual jurisdictions to apply TRPA's environmental thresholds at the local level. A public workshop will be held on March 23. Our planning experts continue to meet with county officials and track the issue closely.
- 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. Project plans are scheduled to be released this spring. The League is working closely with partners to ensure the project results in restoration benefits and reduced erosion for the Upper Truckee River.
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This will be your go-to beanie |
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While there's still tons of snow on the ground, don’t go without a go-to beanie.
Our organic cotton beanie is a soft, comfortable match for your snowshoe adventures, après ski lounging, or endless snow shoveling.
With a double-sided cork patch, you can wear it tucked or untucked and show your love for Tahoe.
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All proceeds benefit our efforts to Keep Tahoe Blue. |
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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. Consider making a donating today. Thank you. |
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