Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe is a deep freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada, straddling California and Nevada. Its clear water, alpine setting, and surrounding public lands make it a major ecological and recreation center.

Lake Tahoe Basin: The watershed and surrounding mountain basin that drain into Lake Tahoe. This basin defines the lake’s boundaries, tributaries, and management region.
Secchi disk: A black-and-white disk used to measure water transparency by the depth at which it disappears. Long-term Secchi measurements track changes in Tahoe’s clarity.
Lake Tahoe water quality management: The coordinated policies and projects aimed at protecting Lake Tahoe’s water quality. Agencies target runoff, erosion, and pollutants to preserve lake clarity.
Lake Tahoe geology: The geological processes that formed and shaped the Lake Tahoe basin. Faulting, volcanism, and glaciation produced the lake’s distinctive mountain setting.
Lake Tahoe Compact: A 1969 agreement between California and Nevada establishing a regional agency for Tahoe planning. The compact created a framework for coordinating land-use decisions across the state line.
Lake Tahoe watershed: The land area that drains precipitation and runoff into Lake Tahoe. Its streams and runoff supply nearly all water entering the lake.
Lake Tahoe clarity decline: The long-term reduction in measured water transparency in Lake Tahoe. Fine particles and algae have reduced the distance visible through the water.
Lake Tahoe aquatic invasive species: Non-native aquatic organisms established or monitored in Lake Tahoe and its tributaries. Prevention programs address risks from boating and other water recreation.
Truckee River: A river flowing from Lake Tahoe through Nevada to Pyramid Lake. It is Tahoe’s sole natural outlet and connects the lake to downstream waters.
Tahoe Regional Planning Agency: A bi-state agency that regulates land use and environmental planning in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Its rules balance development, recreation, and protection of the basin.

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