November is National Gratitude Month. To kick it off, the League is celebrating YOU, our incredible volunteers and donors!
As we enter this season of generosity and thanks, the entire Keep Tahoe Blue family is thankful for all our supporters, including you. We Keep Tahoe Blue by designing solutions to Tahoe’s biggest problems and scaling those solutions with the power of our volunteers and donors.
Every year, 1,500+ dedicated volunteers and 3,000+ donors come together to protect and preserve Lake Tahoe, ensuring our shoreline is pristine and our water shimmers. Through our Tahoe Forest Stewardship Days events that advance restoration, Tahoe Blue Crews and cleanup events to combat pollution, and using tools like Citizen Science Tahoe to identify and address threats like invasive species, our volunteers show their dedication to the Lake. Our donors continue to show their endless generosity by funding impactful programs around the Basin. With their support, this year we:
- Passed the country’s first municipal single-use plastic water bottle ban in South Lake Tahoe.
- Renewed the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act, authorizing nearly $300 million in federal funding to improve Tahoe’s environment over the next decade.
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Helped acquire the Motel 6 property in South Lake Tahoe, which will be restored to critical wetland habitat that filters pollutants from Tahoe’s largest tributary.
- Negotiated a plan with AT&T to remove eight miles of lead-clad cables from the Lake.
Join us in thanking our volunteers, our generous donors, and all who Keep Tahoe Blue. Learn more about how you can join the movement below! |
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That's a Wrap!
Final Year of Tahoe Keys Control Methods Test is Complete |
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The Tahoe Keys Control Methods Test (CMT)—a comprehensive program to evaluate the full toolbox of options to control the Lake’s largest infestation of aquatic weeds—wrapped up its third and final year of testing this fall. This is an important milestone in tackling aquatic invasive species in the Tahoe Keys lagoons, which are ground zero for the invasive weed infestation in Tahoe. In its third year, the CMT focused on continuing to apply innovative techniques like UV light and diver-assisted suction harvesting to maintain the weed reduction achieved through the targeted, one-time use of herbicides in the summer of 2022.
Scientific monitoring information from this year’s tests—150,000 individual data points—is currently being analyzed by the project’s expert team. An interim report that focuses on the CMT’s implementation this year is now available at tahoekeysweeds.org. A more detailed report will be released in the spring of 2025 after all the data has been evaluated.
The findings from the precedent-setting CMT will reveal important lessons for managing weeds in the Tahoe Keys, and for protecting the entire Lake from aquatic invasive species in the long term. |
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| Our CEO on the TEDx Stage |
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We’re thrilled to share that our CEO, Darcie Goodman Collins, took the TEDx SouthLakeTahoe stage this past weekend. Darcie’s talk highlighted the League’s commitment to harnessing science, cutting-edge technology, and nature-inspired solutions to tackle Tahoe’s unique environmental challenges – from microplastics to invasive species.
To protect the natural places we love, Darcie emphasized that we need to embrace change and be bold. At the League, we are not afraid to push boundaries and learn from every step. Thanks to Lake Tahoe Community College for hosting this impactful event and all the inspiring speakers who shared the stage. Stay tuned – we’ll be sharing Darcie’s TEDx talk soon. |
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Inspiring the Next Generation of Lake Guardians |
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This October, the League, alongside our South Tahoe Environmental Education Coalition (STEEC) partners, reached over 1,000 local students with environmental, place-based lessons.
During the first three weeks of the month, we brought the annual Wonders of Water and Environmental Education (WOWEE) program to K-5 students at local elementary schools. Our team also joined 500 7th and 8th graders aboard the M.S. Dixie. Through engaging stations and games, students explored how their actions impact Tahoe’s natural environment. League staff also led water quality workshops during South Tahoe High School’s “Enviro Day,” giving students hands-on knowledge of what it takes to Keep Tahoe Blue.
This collaborative effort, reaching kids from ages 5 to 18, helps foster Tahoe’s next generation of environmental leaders. |
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N. American Lake Management Society Symposium
November 5 - 8 Tahoe Blue Event Center
NALMS will bring the top experts to Tahoe to discuss the latest and greatest in lake management. The three-day symposium will include workshops, field trips, and presentations from the League's own Laura Patten and Jesse Patterson. |
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Sierra Nevada Alliance Conservation Conference
November 7 - 8 Lake Tahoe Community College
The conference will focus on strengthening conservation efforts through partnerships. Our Strategic Partnerships Manager, Hailey Hawkins, will represent the League in a session titled “Partnering to Keep Tahoe Blue for All.” |
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Tahoe Blue Crew Training November 13 | 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
Virtual
Help Keep Tahoe Blue! Join our upcoming Tahoe Blue Crew training to learn how to adopt a litter hotspot, track litter data, and develop your own cleanup plan with League support. After the virtual session, League staff will meet with you to provide a welcome kit and support your crew goals. |
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