39.0°
Comments (2)Road Sand Is Killing Lake Tahoe
By Tony PastorePublished: March 11, 2010
My Shot
The science is in. Some 70 percent of the pollution (fine sediments) destroying Lake Tahoe’s crystal waters come from the “urbanized” areas surrounding Lake Tahoe. Entities around the Basin (NDOT, CalTrans, counties, etc.) spread road sand throughout the winter months to increase traction between car tires and the road surface. Unfortunately, this is the source of the dirt that is literally choking Lake Tahoe to death.
More specifically, the fine sediments are the remains of ground-up road sand which is primarily “cinders.” Cinders are a lightweight, cheap, and unfortunately soft rock almost exclusively used in the Tahoe Basin as “road sand” or “traction abrasive.” Loads of cinders, as analyzed by El Dorado Department of Transportation, contain up to 20 percent by weight of tiny particles, almost dust, that measure than less than 20 microns. These tiny particles are the sediments that are easily delivered to Lake Tahoe by wind (you’ve all seen the intense dust along our roads) or by run-off of snowmelt and rain.
Once in the lake, these particles do not settle to the bottom. They are so fine that they stay suspended forever, causing cloudiness and reducing clarity. They soak up sunlight, warming the water, and making it more suitable for invasive plants and fishes, ultimately destroying Lake Tahoe.
An alternative solution/strategy must be agreed to before it is too late to save the jewel of the Sierra. In 2005, in a public meeting with John Singlaub, then executive director of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, I asked him why we had not yet banned road sand or aggressively pursued an alternative. There was no answer. Today there can be no doubt that road sand is killing Lake Tahoe. Along with the slow death of the lake will come the painful death of this region. The economy has already slumped. As the lake declines, the economy will follow. Environment and economy are inextricably connected here.
Simple solutions exist to reduce the problems of the current practice of road sanding: use of high-traction, permeable pavements like pervious concrete; use of hard aggregate traction abrasives; screening of the cinders to remove the 20 percent of fine particles (added cost is $4/ton); smarter application of abrasives where needed and reduced speeds as appropriate.
When Scott Cecchi and I brought pervious concrete (a high-traction, light-colored, permeable pavement that produces no run-off) to the Tahoe Basin in 2002, people said it would clog and fail. One of the oldest pervious concrete parking areas I paved is at the office of the TRPA in South Lake Tahoe. Go see it. Today, there are about 15 other pervious concrete placements in Tahoe including a hydronic heated walkway, parking areas, driveways, and Laurel Lane in Tahoe Vista.
Spending billions on research and BMPs to treat the water quality problems related to road sanding is not a solution because it does not address the cause. It’s like taking aspirin for a thorn in your toe.
We are pouring dirt down the throat of Lake Tahoe, and she is choking to death. The time is now for the TRPA and others to step up and address this blatant, gross pollution. We must re-think and re-design roads and management as a system. Paving materials, maintenance, plowing, BMPs, etc. are all part of this system. Many solutions exist today, and there is a huge opportunity for further innovation.
~ You can find Tony Pastore in his Kings Beach office working toward sustainability on projects like constructed wetlands, vegetated pervious concrete, nonprofit shared space, and sustainable sites/LID. He gets out to ski and climb occasionally. prdei.com
Moonshine Ink offers a place to Spout Off. Letters are limited to 300 words. Submissions to "My Shot" are limited to 600 words and must be reserved ahead of time. Email editor@moonshineink.com or fax (530) 587-3635.
2 Reader Comments so far ...