Keeping Lake Tahoe clean with bottom barriers

At Lakeside Marina divers are making sure “Keep Tahoe Blue” isn’t a commitment that begins and ends with a bumper sticker.

“What we are trying to do today is to kill these little aquatic invasive species here,” said Nicole Cartwright, Executive Director at Tahoe Resource Conservation District. “There are 10x40 strips of bottom barriers that are actually covering and being stapled down to the lake shore, and that’s what’s killing the plants,” she said.

Divers aren’t alone. Public and private partners are also involved, including The Tahoe Fund, Tahoe Water Suppliers Association, and the Tahoe Resource Conservation District. Killing the plants now, prevents having to clear the water supply later.

“This is our investment in protecting our communities from having to invest a lot more money in the public water system,” said Madonna Dunbar, Executive Director at Tahoe Water Suppliers Association.

The invasive species grow to affect boating, color and quality of the water and cleaning the lake will protect a national treasure for generations to come.

“It’s not just for the aesthetics and beauty of Lake Tahoe and the clarity, but for what we drink every day,” said Dunbar.