Air Quality

Air and water quality at Lake Tahoe are tightly linked. One of the factors in the Lake’s clarity loss is the deposition of fine sediments and nutrients from the air. Many factors contribute to air pollution in the Tahoe Basin, including automobile exhaust and road dust, smoke from wood stoves, and pollution blowing in from the west. The primary factor however is automobile use within the Basin, and the League strongly advocates for improved public transit throughout the Tahoe area. In addition to reducing automobile emissions, road dust, and runoff, getting cars off the roads will have the added benefit of improving the visitor and resident experience at Lake Tahoe.

Improving air quality through alternative transportation

In 1997, the League co-founded a coalition of business and environmental interests who all have a stake in improving transportation options in the Basin. This group, called the Lake Tahoe Transportation and Water Quality Coalition, works to identify solutions to transportation related problems and also seeks funding from the federal government and the states of California and Nevada for priority projects. This is an important step in the process of improving air quality in the Basin, as funding for transit projects has been difficult to obtain in the past.

In addition to our work with the Transportation and Water Quality Coalition, the League works as an advocate for erosion control and stormwater treatment projects along our roadways. And most importantly, we encourage residents and visitors to get out of their cars and ride their bike, take the bus or trolley, or carpool with a friend. Read more about the variety of alternative transportation options in the Tahoe Basin.