The Lake’s famed clarity and pristine environment is the focus of the Conservancy’s mission. In order to preserve this environment, it is important that we approach our mission from the watershed perspective. While the clarity of the Lake can be measured using the Secchi disk, it is the overall health of the watershed that impacts the results. To improve the watershed’s health the Conservancy involves other partners and stakeholders and addresses water quality and watershed health by looking for multiple benefits that can be achieved within the smaller sub-watersheds of the Lake. In addition, we look to learn from science that is constantly evolving and use adaptive management to address the changes that nature continually presents.
The Conservancy has three areas that it uses as the focus for its watershed approach – Watersheds and Stream Environment Zone (SEZ) Restoration, Wildlife Enhancement, and Stormwater Quality. The Watersheds and Stream Environment Zone program looks to preserve, restore and enhance the Basin’s streams and riparian areas. Wildlife Enhancement concentrates on restoring and enhancing the many different wildlife habitats within the Basin that have been fragmented by the development that has occurred. Stormwater Quality works to improve the water quality of urban runoff with a particular emphasis on removing fine sediment.
Recent studies in conjunction with Lahontan’s development of a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for Lake Tahoe have determined that the greatest impact on the Lake’s clarity is due to the suspension of fine sediment (less than 16 microns). Furthermore, it has been found that the greatest source of this sediment is from urban upland, or bas...
Stream Environment Zone (SEZ) is a term unique to the Tahoe Basin and encompasses more than just wetlands. SEZ was developed by TRPA to denote perennial, intermittent and ephemeral streams and drainages, as well as marshes and meadows, and they generally possess the following characteristics: riparian or hydric (wet site) vegetation; alluvial, ...
The Lake Tahoe Basin is home to more than 290 bird, animal and fish species and more than a thousand different plant species. This rich variety of wildlife has much to do with the diverse habitats found in the Basin - from forest and brush covered upland areas to marshes and wetlands, to glacial lakes and alpine meadows rock outcrops, to rivers and s...