beaches

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) will soon begin closing recreational facilities and forest roads around the Lake Tahoe Basin for the winter season. Seasonal closures apply to many Forest Service recreation sites including beaches, campgrounds, picnic areas and forest roads. Keep in mind that Tahoe Valley and Zephyr Cove Resort campgrounds remain open year-round along with Camp Richardson and Zephyr Cove resorts and beaches.

Lake Tahoe is known around the world for its crystal-clear water. For several decades, Tahoe’s clarity, which measured more than 100 feet in 1968, was declining each year because of stormwater pollution from poorly planned development and the lingering effects of historical activities such as cattle grazing and logging.

The City of South Lake Tahoe is creating a new design of Sierra Boulevard that will introduce Class 1 and Class 2 bike lanes, parallel parking spots, reduced lane size and lighted sidewalks. Called the Sierra Boulevard Complete Streets Project, work is expected to get underway on the .6 mile stretch of road in the summer of 2018, but not everyone is happy about it.

At the first of two community information meetings on Thursday night, City and NCE representatives gave an overview of the planned project, had a question and answer period and shared preliminary designs of Sierra Blvd.

Climate change has brought major changes to Lake Tahoe including warmer water, an increase in dying trees and a reducing summertime lake clarity.

These and other findings were released today in the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) annual Tahoe: State of the Lake Report for 2016. The year was marked by the hottest temperatures on record followed by a winter of unprecedented levels of rain and snow in the Sierra Nevada.

TERC Director Geoffrey Schladow presented the report at a free public talk July 27 in Incline Village.

Jack Johnson is not only an entertainer, but he is also an environmentalist doing what he can to reduce his impact on the earth. When Johnson comes to Lake Tahoe this summer on July 28 and 29, one can not only expect great music, but also a zero waste tour.

His All at One initiative is a social action network where everyone can make a positive change in their local and world community. As he tours, Johnson will connect with non-profit groups, take environmental action, and receive rewards. All At Once promotes Sustainable Local Food Systems and Plastic Free Initiatives.

5:00 p.m. update: The beach cleanups for July 5 have concluded, and according to the League to Save Lake Tahoe, 1,678.25 pounds were picked up by their 321 volunteers at 5.64 miles of beaches. And that to the 4,000 pounds collected at El Dorado area beaches and there was 2.84 tons of trash picked up in one day.

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As the sun came up over Lake Tahoe the day after the July 4 celebrations, scores of volunteers were headed to the beaches to help clean up the trash left behind on local beaches.

South Lake Tahoe area law enforcement, agencies and safety personnel are preparing for a very busy holiday weekend, full of people coming to enjoy all sorts of outdoor activities. With a very high lake level, and overflowing rivers, caution and safety are urged to have a fabulous weekend in Lake Tahoe.

And they aren't only going to be dealing with water safety. Rules and regulations along the beaches will also be enforced for safety reasons.

The historic winter in Lake Tahoe continues to leave its mark with high water levels leaving limited beach space, causing sensitive areas to be prone to environmental degradation.

The area the public can access along the south shore just got smaller as the California Tahoe Conservancy has announced they will limit public access and temporarily close portions of some beaches to protect sensitive habitat and limit erosion.

Locations where portions of the beach will be closed include the Upper Truckee Marsh and other Conservancy-owned beaches near Lakeview Commons as shown in the photo.

Littering in Tahoe is a big problem. Everywhere you go, there is trash and no one picks it up. People don't throw their trash in the garbage; they leave their trash on the ground and it makes its way into the lake. Other people who pass by it don't pick it up either. The problem started with the tourists who come to the beaches and throw their trash anywhere and they think that it won’t do anything to our lake. Tourists don’t take care of nature and our lake as much as the locals here. Some locals leave their trash everywhere as well.

It’s going to be a paddler’s paradise this summer.

Beginning May 1, single lane closures will take place on State Route 28 south of Incline Village as the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) launches the second season of shared-use path construction and highway safety, accessibility and water quality enhancements.

Weather and snow conditions permitting, Lake Tahoe recreational facilities will soon be open! The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) announced today they will begin opening some spots in the Lake Tahoe Basin.

Inspiration Point will be the first site to open on April 15, 2017. The Taylor Creek Visitor Center opens May 19 and will be staffed weekends only until Memorial Day weekend. The Tallac Historic Site parking area opens May 1 and will be staffed beginning Saturday, May 27.

Over the last two decades, the Lake Tahoe Region has become a national leader in fighting the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS) that threaten to harm its world-renowned environment and the $5 billion recreation-based economy it supports.

The Lake Tahoe Region is working with other partners throughout the American West to better safeguard waterbodies and improve national invasive species policies. We are also working with the boating industry to help manufacturers design watercraft that are less likely to carry AIS and are easier to inspect and decontaminate.

Third Eye Blind will be celebrating their 20th Anniversary with Summer Gods Tour at Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harvey's on July 16, 2017. This is the first concert announced for the popular summer concerts.

Their supporting act(s) have not been announced.

Third Eye Blind will, for the first time in their storied history, play their debut album, considered one of the great rock records of all time, in its entirety, as part of a night of music including their latest, We Are Drugs. They are touring 31 cities as part of the the tour.

There are many important issues concerning the Nation, California and South Lake on the November 8th ballot. Not only we will decide on who the next President is but we’ll also be voting in two City Officials, who some could argue will actually have a greater impact on our daily lives than the Nation’s Leader.

Do you love having a blue Lake and clean streams in our Tahoe backyard? So do we! But when we get to work, live and play in a city in the midst of Sierra wilderness, keeping our waters blue and clean takes some team effort.

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The Lake Tahoe Humane Society is inviting everyone to their fundraisers this weekend in South Lake Tahoe, both which get people outside, visiting their favorite bars and beaches, and both helping out pets in the area.

The action starts on Saturday, August 20 with a fun Poker Ride which starts off at California Burger at Heavenly Village. Registration starts at 10:00 a.m. and the event starts at noon.

Poker hands will be collected at five stops, which include beaches and bars. The hands will be entered into the contest, with the worst and best winning bicycles.

South Lake Tahoe-based Tahoe Blue Vodka has donated $5,000 to the League to Save Lake Tahoe, with encouragement to community members to match their contribution to support the League’s beach cleanups. League supporters surpassed the match, raising over $10,000.

Tens of thousands of people will be enjoying the Lights on the Lake fireworks show over Lake Tahoe Monday, most of them unaware of the hundreds of hours of work put into their enjoyment.

"We love out job," said Zambelli Fireworks Western Region Project Manager John Hagan. "We can use explosives to make people happy."

Zambelli is the company hired to produce the 25 minute pyrotechnic show over Lake Tahoe on July 4, starting at 9:45 p.m.

Depending on where you live on the South Shore, you may be able to have a wood fire in your outdoor fire pit, or, maybe not.

Restrictions differ between Tahoe Douglas Fire Department and the City of South Lake Tahoe and Lake Valley Fire Departments.

Cal Fire and the U.S Forest Service also have fire regulations to be aware of.

After the July 4th festivities, our beaches are thrashed with trash. This trash can hurt wildlife and lake clarity. Be a part of the solution and help us this day to keep our beaches clean.

Join the League to Save Lake Tahoe and clean a beach. They will provide refreshments, cleanup bags, gloves, and hand sanitizer. Please bring your reusable water bottle, gloves if you have them, sunscreen, your friends and family, and a smile!

Each attendee will receive a raffle ticket for great prizes from Keep Tahoe Blue and our partners.

Join us at one of the following sites:

The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics and its Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers team are partnering with the Lake Tahoe Outreach Committee and other Lake Tahoe organizations to host community events and educational activities June 6-13. As visitors flock to the outdoor recreation wonderland that is Lake Tahoe the trails, beaches and forests are experiencing an increase in use and the associated impacts of trash, trail erosion and shoreline degradation.

Charles Barkley, Justin Timberlake, and Steve Kerr and Andre Iguodala of the Golden State Warriors lead a group of 90 sports and entertainment stars coming to South Lake Tahoe for the 27th annual American Century Championship, July 19 – 24, 2016. Many were hoping to see Steph Curry on the list, but with the Olympic Games in Rio just after the tournament, speculation is that he had to skip the stop in Tahoe.

The Sheriff’s Team of Active Retirees (S.T.A.R.) Program in El Dorado County is looking to bolster their volunteer corps. STAR is comprised of senior citizens who are utilized to enhance vital crime prevention services in the community. The STARs conduct patrols in specially marked STAR vehicles, functioning as the eyes and ears of the Sheriff’s Department, reporting any suspicious activity observed. The S.T.A.R. Program is a Crime Prevention Program exercising proactive law enforcement principles.