Lake Tahoe Clarity the Best In 10 Years
BASIN WIDE
Lake Tahoe’s clarity improved in 2012 for the second year in a row, and its waters were the clearest in 10 years, according to University of California, Davis scientists.
Last year’s average annual clarity level was 75.3 feet, or a 6.4-foot improvement from 2011, according to data released by the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.
Winter clarity last year continued a long-term pattern of improvement, with the best clarity since 1996. The winter average of 88.3 feet in 2012 was well above the worst point seen in 1997 and a combined 12-foot improvement for the past two years.
At 64.4 feet, summer clarity improved 13 feet from the 2011 value, but researchers say the persistent trend is still one of declining summer clarity.
The rate of decline for average annual clarity in the past decade has been better than in recent decades. In 1997-1998, annual clarity reached an all-time average low of 65.1 feet. This year’s value is an improvement of more than 10 feet on that period, but still 22 feet short of the clarity restoration target of 97.4 feet set by federal and state regulators. In 1968, when measurements started, clarity level was 102.4 feet.
Urban stormwater runoff has long been a contributor to reduced clarity at the lake. Most of that runoff occurs during the winter and spring, when rain and snowmelt carry small, inorganic particles from the land, roads, and other developed areas into the lake. Yet, despite a wet winter in 2011, clarity improved. Researchers say this could indicate that efforts led by the TRPA, other management agencies, local jurisdictions, and private property owners to reduce urban stormwater runoff are having a positive impact. However, the researchers emphasize that they need more data on stormwater to make more definitive conclusions.
More information about environmental factors affecting Lake Tahoe will be included in the 2013 State of the Lake Report, expected this summer. Info: trpa.org, terc.ucdavis.edu
Permit To Reduce Tahoe Pollution Approved By Supervisors
BASIN WIDE
The Placer County Board of Supervisors last month approved a plan to maintain and improve Lake Tahoe’s clarity. The plan is required under a recently updated federal permit that was issued by the state Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board regulating storm water runoff from the three California jurisdictions at Tahoe: El Dorado County, the City of South Lake Tahoe, and Placer County.
The permit has stringent requirements for the reduction of pollutants entering Lake Tahoe.
Over the last decade, Placer County has completed 16 water quality improvement projects that have reduced the amount of pollution reaching the lake. Six more projects that are underway will further reduce pollution.
Two of the projects are the Kings Beach Commercial Core Improvement Project and the Lake Forest Panorama Project which, when completed, will prevent nearly 17,000 pounds of pollutants from entering the lake each year. These two projects will treat runoff that flows either directly to Lake Tahoe or into streams that reach the lake.
Placer County is also switching to an abrasive road sand with a lower percentage of fine sediment to reduce the amount of fine sediment reaching the lake by nearly 5,000 pounds each winter. The county is also purchasing a vacuum-assisted street sweeper that will vacuum up dust and road sand before it is carried away by rain, snow, or wind.
New Washoe County Survey Asks Residents for Input On Communication
WASHOE COUNTY
Open Washoe County, an online program for citizen input and feedback, is asking residents how they prefer to communicate with their local county government. The open forum is accessible at washoecounty.us/openwashoe and also by texting “subscribe” to (775) 835-4540. Individuals can make comments, suggestions, and read what other community members are saying about a particular issue.
At the end of March, commissioners will be presented with recommendations that may include new opportunities for Washoe County residents to become involved with the county.
Tahoe Fund Awarded National Grant
BASIN WIDE
The Tahoe Fund, a nonprofit raising funds for environmental improvement projects in the Tahoe Basin, recently received a grant from the National Environmental Education Foundation to boost its fundraising network. The grant will help the Tahoe Fund expand its online fundraising capacity and donor management capabilities. The Tahoe Fund was one of 29 grantees selected from a competitive pool of 160 applicants.
The Tahoe Fund has funded two critical watershed restoration projects that significantly reduced the flow of fine sediment into Lake Tahoe, two one-mile sections of the Tahoe Bikeway that will one day connect around the entire lake, a bi-state park in South Lake Tahoe, and the UC Davis State of the Lake Report which analyzes important scientific data on the health of Tahoe. Info: info@tahoefund.org, (775) 298-0035
Mental Health First Aid Training
AUBURN
Placer County is inviting the general public to attend a free Mental Health First Aid training course to be held March 21-22 in Auburn.
The 12-hour course will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. both days at the Chapa-De Behavioral Health Activities Center, 11670 Atwood Rd.
Mental Health First Aid training is designed to give members of the public the key skills needed to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. The training will provide students with knowledge of potential risk factors and warning signs for a range of mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, psychosis, eating disorders, and substance abuse disorders. To register, contact Tom Drake, tdrake@placer.ca.gov, (530) 886-3413
Truckee Donner Land Trust Earns National Recognition
TRUCKEE
The Truckee Donner Land Trust has achieved accreditation from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance.
“This effort will pay off in the future as we have better procedures, documentation, transparency, and credibility in the land trust and wider communities,” said land trust President William Thauvette.
The Truckee Donner Land Trust was founded in 1990 and has protected over 33,000 acres, ensuring continued recreational access and protecting lands for future generations. Most recently, the land trust conserved the Webber Lake/Lacey Meadows and Royal Gorge properties.
The land trust is one of 201 land trusts across the country that has been awarded accreditation since the fall of 2008. Accredited land trusts are authorized to display a seal indicating to the public that they meet national standards for excellence, uphold the public trust, and ensure that conservation efforts are permanent. The seal is a mark of distinction in land conservation.
“Accreditation provides the public with an assurance that, at the time of accreditation, land trusts meet high standards for quality and that the results of their conservation work are permanent,” said Land Trust Accreditation Commission Executive Director Tammara Van Ryn. Info: tdlandtrust.org
Caltrans Puts Two-Lane Snow Plow to Use on Donner Summit
DONNER SUMMIT
A new Caltrans snowplow that can clear snow from two lanes of highway at a time is now being used on Donner Summit.
The two-lane plow is known as a “tow plow” and the Donner Summit vehicle is the first one to be used in California. When activated the tow plow will move to the right side of the pulling plow. The tow plow will clear 28 feet of roadway of snow at once. A normal plow has a snow removal width of 10 to 12 feet. Motorists are advised to remain 100 feet behind the equipment when lights are flashing. The maximum speed limit is 30 miles an hour in a chain control area on Interstate 80.
Dale Chamblin Selected as New Tahoe Forest Hospital Board Member
REGIONAL
Dale Chamblin, the former chairman of Tahoe Forest Hospital’s Measure C Oversight Committee, was appointed to the Tahoe Forest Hospital Board on Feb. 12.
Chamblin replaces Ken Cutler, who recently resigned after moving out of the hospital district. Cutler lives in Auburn and is serving as the Nevada County Public Health Officer.
Chamblin was selected from a group of three applicants for the position. Chamblin is a Tahoe Vista resident and the former chief financial officer and owner of a multi-state electrical parts distributor. He has a degree in finance from UC Berkeley and built and sold homes in the Berkeley Hills before moving to Tahoe 13 years ago. He now works as a ski instructor at Squaw Valley USA.
Chamblin said the hospital has to be prepared to react to new legislation and new challenges in health care.
“Clearly the best thing the board management can do in this era of uncertainty is maintain a level of agility,” said Chamblin.
Chamblin has served on the grants committee of the Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation and as the secretary of the Tahoe City Rotary Club, as well as numerous board positions in the Bay Area. ~ David Bunker/Moonshine Ink
