Be Blue

Keep Tahoe Blue is calling on everyone to “Be Blue” to help protect Lake Tahoe. These “Be Blue” practices help preserve Tahoe’s famed water clarity, but they can be applied anywhere to help improve the quality of any waterway.

All of us — visitors and residents alike — can be part of the solution to Keep Tahoe Blue by taking these ten simple actions.

Ten things you can do:

6. Choose low-impact recreation opportunities.

Choose lake-friendly activities such as kayaking, hiking, cycling, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. You might find that you enjoy the Lake in a new and different way.

1. Bike, walk, take the bus

Combat pollution by choosing low-impact transportation. Driving pollutes the air and produces fine sediment from roads that clouds the Lake. Visit tahoebike.org for more information on bike trails. Read more about Tahoe’s alternative transportation options.

2. Prevent the spread of invasive species

Clean, drain and dry your watercraft and stay on trails to prevent the spread of invasives. Invasive plants and animals take over native habitats and reduce lake clarity.

3. Choose conservation landscaping.

Support restoration efforts by choosing native or water-wise plants, which need less water and fertilizers than lawns. Fertilizers with phosphorus can cause algae growth in the Lake. For tips on using native plants, download the Lake Tahoe Home Landscaping Guide (10 MB pdf).

4. Leave only footprints

Protect the shoreline by picking up cigarette butts, plastic and other litter that can wash into the Lake. Once trash is in the water, it looks ugly and harms wildlife.

5. Pick up after your pet.

Even far from the lakeshore, pet waste makes its way into the water. Waste transports nutrients, causing algae to grow and harming clarity.

7. Choose reusables over single-use plastic

The top trash found at Tahoe beach and community cleanups are single use plastics, including bottles, lids, straws, utensils, plates. Plastics do not biodegrade, but rather photodegrade, breaking into smaller pieces from the sun. These plastics are toxic in the water and can look like food to wildlife. Bring your own reusable or shop our store for solutions.

8. Install Best Management Practices on your property.

Property owners at Tahoe are mandated to install measures around their homes and businesses to help Keep Tahoe Blue. Best management practices, or “BMPs,” help decrease runoff, erosion and pollution into Lake Tahoe. Typical BMPs include planting native plants, placing mulch on bare dirt, or placing a layer of stones under decks.

To learn more, Nevada residents can contact the Nevada Tahoe Conservation District and California residents can contact the Tahoe Resource Conservation District.

9. Reduce your carbon footprint.

Research shows global climate change will affect Lake Tahoe in dramatic ways. Do your part to reduce your carbon footprint by taking simple steps around your home or office to decrease energy use.

10. Become a member, volunteer and stay involved.

Join the League to support initiatives that protect Lake Tahoe. Get involved by volunteering in our citizen science monitoring programs and other opportunities. Visit our Current Priorities page to Learn more about important policy affecting the Lake. discussions.

Bonus: Buy a Lake Tahoe Environmental License Plate.

Help Lake Tahoe by purchasing a California or Nevada Lake Tahoe license plate today.

Over 96 percent of the CA and NV Tahoe license plate fees go directly to environmental improvement projects sponsored by the California Tahoe Conservancy and the Nevada Department of State Lands, which include trails, parks, water quality, and restoration efforts at Lake Tahoe.