Jun 13, 2018:
Today, scientists with the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center released their report on Lake Tahoe’s average water clarity for 2017. Their finding of an average of 59.7 feet depth of clarity is the lowest since they began taking measurements in the 1960s. The following is a statement by Jesse Patterson, deputy director for the League to Save Lake Tahoe, on the clarity news:

“The record-level low for Lake Tahoe’s clarity is alarming news. That said, it’s not surprising, considering how much the Lake has been warming in recent years. Tahoe has also been experiencing more frequent extreme weather conditions, which may be the new normal at Lake Tahoe as our climate changes.

Global warming is expected to make extreme weather fluctuations more common at Tahoe. Also, in the past four years, Lake Tahoe’s water has been warming at 10 times its historic trend.

It’s more important than ever that we continue the efforts to protect the national treasure that is Lake Tahoe. It’s critical that Tahoe continue to get public funding to restore the ecological functions of the Tahoe Basin’s wetlands, meadows and forests that strengthen the Lake’s resiliency. Sources of pollution, particularly fine sediment pollution from the Tahoe Basin’s roads and urban areas, must continue to be addressed.

Lake Tahoe can’t protect itself. There’s a role for everyone in this. Now is the time for people who love Tahoe to get involved, no matter where they live. As Tahoe’s oldest and largest environmental watchdog, we’re in it for the long haul.

Through advocating for the protections Tahoe needs, educating and engaging the public about how they can protect the Lake, and by collaborating to find solutions to these challenges, we will Keep Tahoe Blue.”

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The League to Save Lake Tahoe, also known by the slogan “Keep Tahoe Blue,” is Tahoe's oldest and largest nonprofit environmental advocacy organization. The League is dedicated to community engagement and education, and collaborating to find solutions to Tahoe's environmental challenges. The League's main campaigns include combating pollution, promoting restoration, tackling invasive species and protecting Tahoe's shoreline.