Officials with the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announced this week that fine sediment is being reduced in Lake Tahoe.
Sediment from runoff and other sources is considered one of the primary sources contributing to the lake’s decline in clarity.
A new government report shows sediment was reduced by 303 tons in 2022.
Officials said that Nevada and California seek to restore clarity to a depth of at least 78 feet by the end of 2031. The goal is for people to be once again able to see lake depths of 97 feet in the historically pristine lake.
“The progress made toward restoring Lake Tahoe clarity has been and continues to be encouraging,” said Jennifer Carr, administrator of the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection.
Tahoe’s water clarity in 2022 was measured at a depth of 72 feet – almost 11 feet deeper than in 2021.
The report noted that progress was made by forest management agencies in 2022 to control and prevent pollution impacts from activities to suppress the Caldor Fire. In 2021, the Caldor Fire burned more than 10,000 acres.
Source: DCNR
