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Lake Tahoe: Preserving its Renowned Clarity

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Picture of the clarity of Lake Tahoe's water.

A consortium of political, environmental, tribal and community leaders descended on Lake Tahoe on Aug. 10, 2006 to pledge their continued support in restoring and preserving the lake's renowned clarity.

Administrator Steve Johnson said that EPA will continue to be a strong partner in the lake's restoration, providing strong science, resources and staffing.

After years of declining clarity, Lake Tahoe has experienced a rebound recently. Current clarity is roughly 72 feet, with a goal in coming years of 90 feet. EPA is working with a variety of federal, tribal, state and local stakeholders to develop a pollution control plan, also known as a "total maximum daily load," to limit the amount of sediment and pollution entering Lake Tahoe.

Administrator Steve Johnson (r) meets with members of the Washoe Tribe following the annual Lake Tahoe Summit held on the eastern shore in Nevada.
EPA has provided millions of dollars in grants to Lake Tahoe restoration efforts since the first Lake Tahoe Summit held in 1997, stationed a full-time staff person to work on lake issues and provided extensive technical expertise to stakeholders involved in the lake's restoration.

"President Bush's clear commitment to science is providing a clear future for the waters of Lake Tahoe," Administrator Johnson said. "By investing in the science, EPA and our California and Nevada partners have concluded that the implementation of erosion control projects and other actions to reduce polluted runoff and air pollutant deposition can help retore Lake Tahoe's famous water quality."

Contact information

For more information on EPA’s activities in the Lake Tahoe Basin, please contact Jacques Landy (landy.jacques@epa.gov).

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