Alarming numbers about Lake Tahoe's famed water clarity

Tahoe Daily Tribune

July 27, 1997
By Greg Risling
Tribune Staff Writer

The alarming numbers about Lake Tahoe's famed water clarity can make anyone's face turn blue - or even green.

Clarity rates decline about 1.3 feet a year. Algae concentrations are up nearly 300 percent since 1968. There's a water turnover rate of 700 years. These unfavorable statistics are major concerns of residents and visitors.

President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore left their footprints in the sand Saturday as they announced funding for what has become Tahoe's "Big 3": transportation, forest health and restoring the lake back to its pristine state. The executive duo announced a long list of improvements the federal government, in cooperation with local and state agencies, will make in the next two years.

"The discussion on water clarity emphasized the fact that this lake is unique throughout the world," said Gore. "And the bright cobalt blue quality has to be preserved, everyone agrees on that."

Clinton was schooled by his understudy about the problems with the lake's health. Restoring wetlands, constructing stormwater treatment systems and reducing the algae content were examples of the harmful effects plaguing the lake. He responded by pledging nine future objectives for improving its cleansing cycle. Clinton learned more about the lake's clarity aboard a University of California at Davis research vessel on Saturday. The Environmental Protection Agency will donate an $880,000 grant to the university for new equipment that measures the positive impacts of improvement projects. Additional funds will be given to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, which will develop a water quality monitoring plan. "Investing in research is essential if we are to prevent irrevocable damage to this natural resource," said Dr. Charles Goldman, director of the U.C. Davis Tahoe Research Group. "We have made a good start and every major water policy decision in the basin has been based on the research of the Davis group."

Contributing to Tahoe's ills are the nutrients from the lake's largest tributary, the Upper Truckee River. Runoff, which contains nitrogen and phosphorus, are feeding the growing algae in the lake. The result is a shoreline with green, murky waters. To combat the nutrient flow, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will provide additional funding to the two states for wetland and stream restoration, although no specific figures were given. The environmental projects will filter out pollutants by auto emissions and fertilizer compounds.

The president also plans to ask Congress for money to replace a wastewater pipeline that transports the basin's sewage to Alpine County. The 27-mile sewer line has spewed thousands of gallons of waste on two occasions. Securing funds could prevent another dangerous event from happening.

Other improvements outlined by the president include:

• A joint effort by the EPA and the federal Department of Transportation where paved roads will be upgraded to improve erosion control. The DOT will implement an advanced weather information system to reduce salt chemicals used in the winter to help clear roads.
• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will finish a study that looks at wetlands habitat and water quality.
• The EPA will give TRPA funds to ensure "protection of the public health" under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
• The U.S. Forest Service will conduct a five-year, $2.6 million watershed assessment in the basin.

Gore, impressed with Tahoe's synergism and intensity about water clarity, put the question to the Incline Village crowd when he asked, "Are you ready to keep Lake Tahoe blue?"

The response was overwhelming.