Letter from the Director

This year marks 50 years of conservation at Tahoe RCD! We have been delivering excellent programs and projects in the Tahoe Basin since 1974 and our success continued in 2024. Tahoe RCD currently has a wide range of impactful programs, and our amazing staff are dedicated and committed to our mission of conservation.   

Our new Forestry Program has taken significant steps forward, partnering with local fire protection districts to implement critical fuel reduction projects, helping safeguard our forests and communities from the threat of wildfire. We’re also nearing completion of the Lake Tahoe Basin Community Wildfire Protection Plan Update, which will be finalized by January 2025. Additionally, our nationally recognized Tahoe Network of Fire Adapted Communities Program continues its accelerated growth, empowering residents to act and become more resilient to wildfires.

Another major milestone has been the advancement of restoration planning efforts in Johnson Meadow. This project is important for improving water quality, restoring critical habitat, and enhancing ecosystem resilience in this Upper Truckee River. Other restoration projects were completed by the Forestry, Land Management, and Restoration crews working on California Tahoe Conservancy lands.

The Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Watercraft Inspection Program had another outstanding year, protecting Lake Tahoe from invasive species, while the AIS Control Program continued diver assisted aquatic invasive plant removal and New Zealand mud snail surveys. The Stormwater Program continued lake-wide stormwater monitoring to ensure regulatory compliance and the efficacy of water quality improvement projects.



These accomplishments wouldn’t be possible without the strong foundation provided by our Administrative Team, the unwavering support of our Board of Directors, and the multi-agency partnerships that are essential to all the work we do. Together, we’re making real strides in conserving and protecting the natural resources of the Lake Tahoe Basin.



-Mike Vollmer

Fire Adapted Communities Program

Forestry, Land Management & Restoration Crews

The Tahoe Conservation Partnership crews have wrapped up another safe and productive field season. Our small, but effective crews were able to accomplish a tremendous amount of work to help restore, maintain and enhance the natural resources of the Lake Tahoe basin. Some notable projects include helping to prep the former Motel 6 property for its ultimate restoration to its natural state as a wetland area. Other notable projects include fuel hazard reduction projects completed in Tahoma, and Tahoe city, with ongoing efforts in Kings Beach and Fallen Leaf Lake.

Additionally, the crews have removed over 80 hazard trees, hundreds of gallons of invasives, and have installed and repaired thousands of feet of fencing and vehicle barriers to help protect California Tahoe Conservancy lands from degradation.

While our field season came to a close at the end of October, a small team will remain until the end of the year to continue forestry efforts and complete priority management projects as they arise. Recruitment for our 2025 field season will begin in January, and those positions can be found on the Tahoe Resource Conservation Districts website.

Funders: California Tahoe Conservancy, Wildfire Resilience General Fund

Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Watercraft Inspection Program

Tahoe RCD has provided watercraft inspections and decontaminations for 17 years to protect the region from harmful aquatic invasive species (AIS). The Watercraft Inspection Program provides these services to local and visiting public to conserve the natural resources of our region, inform recreationists about the threat of AIS, and educate users about responsible boating practices so they may be stewards of our region.

AIS from other areas, such as quagga mussels, threaten our regional waters. In late 2023, a new threat was identified locally. New Zealand mudsnails (Potamopyrgus Antipodarum) were found in Lake Tahoe during an AIS plant survey for Tahoe RCD’s AIS Control Program. Tahoe RCD and Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) formed an incident team as a rapid response.



In 2024, the Watercraft Inspection Program inspected and educated over 5500 motorized watercraft users of this new AIS in the region. The program intercepted 56 vessels with AIS present and decontaminated almost 3000 high-risk vessels.

The program also initiated many new projects to adapt to the new threat. Most visibly, Roving Inspectors roamed the region’s beaches and launch areas at Tahoe, Fallen Leaf and Echo Lakes to educate the public. The response was extremely positive, and the AIS program learned valuable input from listening to recreational users. This feedback will be incorporated into the 2025 AIS program.

To minimize the spread of AIS, users should always Clean, Drain and Dry their vessels between uses, especially when changing waterbodies. Tahoe RCD will continue to educate, inspect, decontaminate and train new and continuing stewards of our natural resources.

TahoeBoatInspections.com

Funders: Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, US Fish and Wildlife, State of California, State of Nevada, Lake Tahoe Restoration Act, California State Parks: Division of Boating and Waterways, and participating boaters

Aquatic Invasive Plant Control

Tahoe RCD and our partners have identified surveillance monitoring and rapid response as key strategies to successfully control plant infestations before they become large infestations, which can be difficult and costly to control. From May through October 2024, Tahoe RCD’s dive contractor, Marine Taxonomic Services, conducted surveys for aquatic invasive plants (AIP) along the shoreline of Lake Tahoe. When Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) and curly-leaf pondweed (Potamogeton crispus) are detected, divers carefully remove the entire plant by hand, including all roots. If performed incorrectly, this method can lead to further spread of the plant through fragmentation, so expertise is required. Divers conducted surveillance surveys at 19 locations where AIP had previously occurred and removed any new plant growth they observed. Divers also conducted plant removal at 7 sites that needed more time and effort for plant removal. These sites include Camp Rich, Elks Point rock crib(s), Emerald Bay, Logan Shoals, (former) Meeks Marina, Pope Marsh, and Timber Cove.

Tahoe RCD is uniquely positioned to implement plant control projects with public and private partners to help meet conservation goals. Because invasive weeds spread easily through floating fragments, an infestation anywhere can become a threat everywhere. Coordination among our stakeholders is critical to successfully tackle this lake-wide problem. Tahoe RCD and our partners continue to successfully implement projects around the lake to fulfil the goals of the Lake Tahoe Region Aquatic Invasive Species Action Agenda.

Funders: California Tahoe Conservancy (California State Bond-630, Science and Lake Improvement Account), Nevada Division of State Lands License Plate Grant, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (Lake Tahoe Restoration Act), Tahoe Fund

Stormwater Program

Enhancing Stormwater Treatment to Reduce Pollutant Loads

Lake Tahoe has been losing its famed clarity over the last half century due to increased human activity. Average clarity has stabilized but it has not yet shown significant improvement. Fine sediment particles (FSP) from urban areas are responsible for about 72% of clarity loss. The primary sources of FSP are soil erosion from bare soils and traction abrasives applied to roads during snowstorms, to keep motorists safe. FSP is transported to the lake predominantly via stormwater runoff. A study conducted by Tahoe RCD, Desert Research Institute and Geosyntec assessed the potential impact of climate change on best management practices (BMPs) such as stormwater infiltration basins in the Lake Tahoe Basin. The study found that stormwater BMPs will be less effective at reducing FSP loads to Lake Tahoe because of more extreme precipitation events due to climate change.

These challenges can be resolved by increasing the effectiveness of stormwater BMPs. Large-scale infiltration basins could be retrofitted by mixing underlying soil with media that increases pollutant load removal. Novel configurations of BMPs could target specific pollutants sequentially. For example, numerous smaller BMPs could be dispersed in urban catchments to treat pollutants closer to their source. This strategy would cumulatively treat larger runoff volumes than one larger BMP at the bottom of a catchment.

Another promising and cost-effective method to retrofit existing infiltration basins is to amend the soil with biochar. Biochar is a form of charcoal made of organic matter that can improve soil porosity and sequester pollutants. Using biochar is an emerging technology that would better adsorb pollutants and increase infiltration. Tahoe RCD, in partnership with Nevada Tahoe Conservation District, has developed a proposal to conduct a study assessing the effectiveness of biochar in infiltration basins in Lake Tahoe. If effective, this enhancement could help meet Lake Tahoe clarity goals in the future. 

Funders: California Tahoe Conservancy, Caltrans, City of South Lake Tahoe, Desert Research Institute (NOAA, Tahoe Science Advisory Council), Douglas County, El Dorado County, Nevada Department of Transportation, Placer County, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (Lake Tahoe Restoration Act, US EPA), Washoe County

Wildlife Program- Wildlife Surveys in the Tahoe Basin

Tahoe RCD wildlife biologists conducted rapid assessment wildlife surveys on lands managed by the California Tahoe Conservancy prior to project implementation. The primary focus of the surveys is to detect breeding birds and other sensitive wildlife species. During the surveys, biologists look and listen for breeding activity such as:

• Carrying material to build nest/den within the survey area
• Copulation
• Carrying food or feeding young
• Carrying fecal sacks away from nest
• Mate-feeding; repeated “bee-line” movement to one location
• Observation of nest/den
• Observation of young
• Females giving call or chip notes communicating with their mate
• Auditory evidence of young
• Mobbing behavior or alarm calls
• Delayed flushing

When nesting birds are detected, measures are taken to ensure nesting activities are not disturbed. Between May and August, Tahoe RCD biologists completed surveys that covered 575 parcels for Tahoe Conservation Partnership projects.

Our seasonal wildlife biologist also assisted US Forest Service, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit wildlife crews and conducted surveys for spotted owl, willow flycatcher, American Goshawk, bats, and mesocarnivores. One of the more exciting discoveries of the season was finding a nesting pair of spotted owls on the west shore of Lake Tahoe. The crew was able to see the female owl’s brood patch, which is a bare area of skin on the bird’s abdomen or breast that allows the bird to transfer body heat to its eggs or young. 

Below is a picture of a spotted owl detected on the South Shore of Lake Tahoe.

Funder: California Tahoe Conservancy

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