Tahoe RCD records largest stormwater flows at monitoring sites during recent storm

South Lake Tahoe, Calif. - The January 7, 2017 storm that hit the Sierra Nevada and brought with it over 5 inches of rain before several feet of snow, also brought along some records, too.

During this storm event the Tahoe Resource Conservaton District (TRCD) Stormwater Monitoring Program measured the highest flows ever recorded at all eight of their monitoring locations since monitoring began in 2013. The Tahoe Valley site, located off Tahoe Keys Blvd., measured 1.5 million cubic feet of flow, nearly 90 percent of the flow that was observed throughout the whole 2016 water year!

The Tahoe RCD monitors urban stormwater runoff around the Lake Tahoe Basin, providing the science that helps guide stormwater managers in environmental improvement project design and informs them if projects and management strategies have been successful in reducing pollutant loading to Lake Tahoe. Each stormwater sample is analyzed for fine sediment particles (FSP), nitrogen, and phosphorus to estimate nutrient and sediment loading from urban stormwater runoff.

This last storm produced a massive amount of water runoff to the Lake, over 18 million gallons just from the sites TRCD monitors. Those monitors are located at
SR-431, Incline Village, Lakeshore (Washoe County), Tahoma, Rubicon, Pasadena (SLT), Speedboat, Tahoe Valley, Upper Truckee River and Hwy 50.

All data collected throughout a “water year”, October to September, is compiled into an annual monitoring report, given to stormwater managers and posted on the TRCD website. With successful implementation of environmental improvement projects that promote infiltration of runoff before it gets discharged to the lake, we have had the pleasure of retiring two of our urban stormwater monitoring sites as we saw significant reductions in pollutant loading from these locations.

The Stormwater Monitoring Program is continuously looking for ways to improve stormwater monitoring efforts. New for the 2017 monitoring season, the majority of their sites were outfitted with remote monitoring equipment, allowing them to monitor these sites with smartphones. The new remotely accessible equipment effectively allows their team to view what is happening in real time, and allows them to determine the best way to manage each individual site during storm events.

The TRCD scientific monitoring team is deployed in the most inclement of weather, because good science doesn’t take a break. The severity of this recent storm brought downed trees, dangerous road conditions, and a wealth of water. However, with these remote monitoring systems in place, their team was able to monitor all sites without making extensive trips into the field from the safety and comfort of their homes. This new remote technology allows for more reliable data management and easier data reporting.

Visit TahoeRCD.org to discover the monitoring locations or view their 2016 Annual Monitoring Report. Follow them on facebook.com/tahoercd to stay up to date on monitoring activities.