Lake Tahoe’s beauty is iconic but threatened. Plastic pollution, invasive species, harmful algal blooms, and climate-intensified wildfire could change the Lake’s ecosystem. These aren’t problems we can solve by sticking with the status quo.
To protect the clarity, biodiversity, and health of Lake Tahoe, we must lead with bold, science-backed solutions.
At Keep Tahoe Blue (League to Save Lake Tahoe), we don’t just respond to environmental threats — we innovate ahead of them.
Tahoe’s clear water seen from above
Real Science, Real Solutions: Protecting Tahoe with Innovation
For almost seven decades, the League has championed science-based approaches to protect Lake Tahoe, starting when we first formed in 1957. But today’s challenges demand more than data — they demand action.
- With invasive weeds infesting the Tahoe Keys’ shallow lagoons, we helped launch and lead the Control Methods Test (CMT), a three-year collaboration with scientists and agencies to find the best tools to contain and control harmful aquatic plants.
- When tiny pieces of plastic began showing up in our shoreline litter data, we partnered with ECO-CLEAN Solutions to bring Tahoe the BEBOT. This solar-powered, sand-sifting robot has already removed over 38,000 pieces of litter before they could reach the water.
“It’s exciting to see innovative solutions like the BEBOT being deployed here in Tahoe, where microplastics are a growing threat to the health of the Lake. Data from the first three seasons show it’s an effective last line of defense.”
— Deirdre Francks, Data & Science Coordinator, Keep Tahoe Blue
Building on that success, we’ve introduced two new lake-cleaning robots alongside ECO-CLEAN Solutions: Pixie Drone and Collec’Thor. These “aquabots” collect floating pollution in marinas and inlets before it spreads deeper into the ecosystem. Another new technology, the CD3 machine, helps in the battle by stopping the spread of dangerous invasive aquatic species that tag along on personal watercraft and fishing gear.
These aren’t tech experiments. They’re active, field-tested innovations that help Keep Tahoe Blue.
Citizen Science Tahoe: Powering Protection from the Ground Up
You don’t have to be a scientist to support science. With the Citizen Science Tahoe web-based app, residents, visitors, and volunteers can report pollution, water clarity issues, and algae directly from the field. That data becomes part of a real-time Lake health dashboard used by researchers, agencies, and our in-house advocacy team. It’s community-powered environmental intelligence. And it works.
Meet the Environmental Leaders Shaping Tahoe’s Future
True thought leadership starts with people bold enough to lead from the front.
- Darcie Goodman Collins, PhD, League CEO, delivered a powerhouse TEDx Talk last fall, laying out how the League blends cutting-edge technology, science-backed strategies, and nature-inspired solutions to protect Tahoe from threats like invasive species and microplastics. Her message was clear: if we want to save Tahoe, we have to innovate boldly — and now.
- Jesse Patterson, Chief Strategy Officer, led a marine biology research team for six years, created environmental programs for a federally recognized Indian Tribe, and has taught water science at Lake Tahoe Community College for nearly a decade. But his impact doesn’t stop there. Jesse collaborates across continents with groups like Chile Lagos Limpios, helping scale Tahoe-tested solutions to freshwater ecosystems facing similar threats worldwide.
- Laura Patten, Natural Resource Director, has been central to the removal of eight miles of defunct lead-sheathed cables and oversight of the three-year Control Methods Test, which generated breakthrough data to guide long-term invasive species control. If it’s critical and complex, chances are Laura is already on it.
- Gavin Feiger, Policy Director, is shaping the next era of sustainable transportation for Tahoe. From leading the shuttle pilot program for car-free trips to Emerald Bay, to guiding policy through his work with South Shore Transportation Management Association, Lake Link, and the Tahoe Bike Coalition, Gavin ensures that access and environmental responsibility move forward together.
These experts aren’t just building strategy — they’re delivering results.
Collaboration at the Core
The League’s new headquarters was designed to bring together scientists, nonprofits, agencies, and tech innovators. It’s not just a building. It’s an engine for environmental problem-solving.
Whether it’s invasive species, wildfire resilience, or cleaner transportation, we lead at the intersection of science, policy, advocacy, and community action.
What Makes This Thought Leadership?
- We don’t just share ideas — we pilot them on the shoreline.
- We don’t just communicate science — we deploy it.
- We don’t just ask the public to care — we make it fun for them to make a difference.
In a time of rapid change, the League is proving that bold, evidence-based innovation can still protect what we love.
You Can Shape Tahoe’s Future
Science and technology are helping shape Tahoe’s future. But they need people like you behind them.
Will you help protect Lake Tahoe by donating $20 today?
Your support powers more innovative tools, bigger ideas, and a clearer Lake for everyone, for generations to come.