Climate change has local impacts in and around the Lake Tahoe Basin that dramatically impact this place we all love. For instance, researchers at the University of California Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab say we can expect to see more precipitation falling as rain rather than snow, and that we will see more intense and fierce storms.
These precipitation changes coupled with the fact that unchecked development has removed Tahoe’s
natural pollution filters
, marshes and wetlands, mean our Lake is in danger of becoming further
degraded
.
When rainfall hits our buildings, parking lots and roads, it runs off carrying fine sediment particles and other pollutants through more than 150 pipes dumping into Lake Tahoe—impacting clarity and water quality.
The League created "
Pipe Keepers
" to empower citizens, school groups and community organizations how to be effective stormwater watchdogs by monitoring these pipes and
and reporting any concerns so they can be corrected quickly.
The goal is to stop pollution
before
it enters the Lake.
Since its inception, 278 volunteers have been trained in the Pipe Keepers program. They survey Tahoe’s stormwater basins and alert the League when they notice concerns like flooding or extremely polluted water. Thanks to their efforts, our Lake is better protected during the winter months.
