Stormwater

Guest Columnist: Restoring Lake Tahoe’s Clarity

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.

Motorists reminded of lane changes in Caltrans work in Lake Tahoe

Motorists can expect longer delays on the Highway 50 project in South Lake Tahoe starting at midnight tonight as increased lane restrictions go into place for the rest of the construction season.

Beginning at 12:01 a.m. Monday, and around the clock until 11:00 a.m. Friday each week, Highway 50 (Lake Tahoe Boulevard) will be reduced to one lane in each direction from Dunlap Drive to Winnemucca Avenue to accommodate grinding and paving operations. Motorists can expect delays of up to 30 minutes.

Expect these lane restrictions to be in place until Friday, October 13.

Lake Tahoe area roadwork for September 3-9

The following is the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) roadwork schedule for the Lake Tahoe area.

NOTE: Most traffic-interfering work will be limited through midnight Monday, September 4 due to the Labor Day holiday.

EMERGENCY PROJECT

U.S. Highway 50 (El Dorado County): The highway is reduced to one lane in each direction at Bridal Veil Falls for slope and roadway repair work. Completion is expected by the end of the year.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

Lane restrictions and work hours to increase on Hwy 50 in South Lake Tahoe

Work on the $56 million Highway 50 project in South Lake Tahoe is suspended for the Labor Day weekend, but once the holiday traffic leaves drivers can expect longer delays when lane restrictions are increased.

Starting Tuesday, Sept. 5 at 12:01 a.m., contractor Security Paving Inc. may reduce the highway to one open lane iSn each direction around the clock until 11 a.m. on Fridays.

Beginning Sept. 10, work will be around the clock from midnight Sunday to 11 a.m. Friday each week, with weekends free of construction. Motorists can expect delays of up to 30 minutes.

Expect Kingsbury Grade lane closures as roadwork begins

A $4 million project to enhance 15,000 feet or eroding roadway drainage pipe on Kingsbury Grade will begin on Sept. 11 and last through late summer of 2018, the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) announced today.

Single lane closures with a traffic flagger will periodically be in place on the Carson Valley side of Kingsbury Grade between mileposts 3 and 11. Most of the work will take place Monday through Friday between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. with periodic Saturdays lane closures.

Lake Tahoe area roadwork for August 27-Sept 2

The following is a list of the Caltrans projects in the Lake Tahoe Basin for the week.

EMERGENCY PROJECT

U.S. Highway 50 (El Dorado County): The highway is reduced to one lane in each direction at Bridal Veil Falls for slope and roadway repair work. Completion is expected by the end of the year.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

Lake Tahoe area roadwork for August 20 - 26

The following is the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) roadwork schedule for the Lake Tahoe area.

EMERGENCY PROJECT

U.S. Highway 50 (El Dorado County): The highway is reduced to one lane in each direction at Bridal Veil Falls for slope repair work.

SPECIAL EVENT

State Route 89 (El Dorado County) at the Sugar Pine State Park entrance: Motorists can expect intermittent traffic control Saturday during the Lake Tahoe Triathlon.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

Caltrans finishes $62M Lake Tahoe West Shore project on Hwy 89

Work to rebuild State Highway 89 along the West Shore of Lake Tahoe from Tahoma just north of Granlibakken Road in Tahoe City is now complete, Caltrans announced today. It also came in $8,000,000 under budget.

Construction on the project started in 2012 when a contractor for Southwest Gas began relocating gas lines that were in conflict with the new drainage systems to be built. That work was completed in 2014. Caltrans’ contractor, Road and Highway Builders, began drainage work in 2013 and started roadwork in 2014.

First peek into Sierra Boulevard Complete Streets Project

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.

Work to keep Lake Tahoe's clarity paying off

Lake Tahoe’s extraordinary deep water clarity is attributed to its uncommonly clean water which allows sunlight to reach much greater depths than possible in most other water bodies. Fine sediments through stormwater runoff into the lake reduces this clarity.

Opinion: Confronting climate change at Lake Tahoe

For 20 years, every August we’ve paused to reflect on our collective commitment to Lake Tahoe’s restoration at the Lake Tahoe Summit. This year, with U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein hosting the event, the issue of climate change will be front and center. Climate change poses incredible challenges for Tahoe, affecting not only the health of its famously cold, clear waters, but the health of its expansive forests and what is to become of our $5 billion outdoor recreation-based economy.

Lake Tahoe area roadwork for August 13-19

The following is the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) roadwork schedule for the Lake Tahoe area.

EMERGENCY PROJECT

U.S. Highway 50 (El Dorado County): The highway is reduced to one lane in each direction at Bridal Veil Falls for slope repair work. Completion is expected late this year.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

Lake Tahoe area roadwork for August 6 - 12

The following is the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) roadwork schedule for the Lake Tahoe area. Please note, due to “Hot August Nights” events in Reno, and the expected extra traffic in Tahoe, most lane closures will be restricted from noon Thursday, August 10 until 8 p.m. Monday, August 14.

EMERGENCY PROJECTS

U.S. Highway 50 (El Dorado County): The highway is reduced to one lane in each direction at Bridal Veil Falls for slope repair work.

Lake Tahoe area roadwork for July 31 - August 5

The following are California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) projects in the at Lake Tahoe.

EMERGENCY PROJECTS

U.S. Highway 50 (El Dorado County): The highway is reduced to one lane in each direction at Bridal Veil Falls for slope repair work.

State Route 193 (El Dorado County): Motorists can expect a full closure of the highway from the junction with State Route 49 in Placerville to Chili Bar from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. Monday through Friday for roadwork repairs. More information: http://bit.ly/2to2pbb

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

Report: Lake Tahoe is getting warmer, trees are dying and algae is increasing

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.

Lake Tahoe area roadwork July 23 - 29

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will be working on the following road projects in the Lake Tahoe Basin between July 23-July 29, 2017.

EMERGENCY PROJECTS

U.S. Highway 50 (El Dorado County): The highway is reduced to one lane in each direction at Bridal Veil Falls for slope repair work.

State Route 193 (El Dorado County): Motorists can expect a full closure of the highway from the junction with State Route 49 in Placerville to Chili Bar from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. Monday through Friday for roadwork repairs. More information: http://bit.ly/2to2pbb

Lake Tahoe area roadwork July 16 - 22

The following is a list of Caltrans projects at Lake Tahoe for the week.

EMERGENCY PROJECTS

U.S. Highway 50 (El Dorado County): The highway is reduced to one lane in each direction at Bridal Veil Falls for slope repair work.

State Route 193 (El Dorado County): Motorists can expect signalized one-way traffic control about 1 mile north of the junction with State Route 49 in Placerville around the clock for slope repair work.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

Lake Tahoe area roadwork July 9 - 15

EMERGENCY PROJECTS

U.S. Highway 50 (El Dorado County): The highway is reduced to one lane in each direction at Bridal Veil Falls for slope repair work.

State Route 193 (El Dorado County): Motorists can expect signalized one-way traffic control about 1 mile north of the junction with State Route 49 in Placerville around the clock for slope repair work.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

Lake Tahoe area roadwork July 2-8

EMERGENCY PROJECTS

U.S. Highway 50 (El Dorado County): The highway is reduced to one lane in each direction at Bridal Veil Falls for slope repair work.

U.S. Highway 50 (El Dorado County) from Forest Road/Fresh Pond to Mill Run: Westbound motorists can expect the #2 lane closed from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thurday and 6 a.m. to noon Friday for slope clearing work.

State Route 193 (El Dorado County): Motorists can expect signalized one-way traffic control about 1 mile north of the junction with State Route 49 in Placerville around the clock for slope repair work.

Lake Tahoe road projects shut down for long holiday weekend

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE – With heavy traffic expected around Lake Tahoe this long holiday weekend, both California and Nevada highway departments are suspending their roadwork projects.

Caltrans’ construction projects in the City of South Lake Tahoe and along the West Shore of the lake wrapped up work this morning and won’t resume until after the Fourth of July holiday.

Lake Tahoe area roadwork June 25 - July 1

EMERGENCY PROJECTS

State Route 89 (El Dorado County) from South Upper Truckee Road to Luther Pass: Motorists can expect one-way traffic control at various locations from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday for dead tree removal work.

U.S. Highway 50 (El Dorado County): The highway is reduced to one lane in each direction at Bridal Veil Falls for slope repair work.

The Lodge at Edgewood Tahoe - "A hole in one experience"

The Lodge at Edgewood Tahoe was a vision that began 25 years ago when the late Brooks Park and now General Manager Bobby King were talking about a complete experience for golfers who could also stay after a round of golf.

Park's grandfather David bought 571 acres of pastureland at Lake Tahoe in 1896. The property included the historic Friday's Station where the family operated it as a way station and butcher's shop for those crossing the terrain from 19818-20.

Lake Tahoe area roadwork June 18-24

EMERGENCY PROJECTS

U.S. Highway 50 (El Dorado County): The highway is reduced to one lane in each direction at Bridal Veil Falls for slope repair work.

U.S. Highway 50 (El Dorado County) at Alder Creek Road: Motorists can expect intermittent one-way traffic control from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 6 a.m. to noon Friday for mudslide removal work.

$100 million later, Edgewood Lodge opens to the public

They broke ground on the new Edgewood Lodge at the south shore of Lake Tahoe in October of 2015, but plans and environmental improvements began years before that in preparation for the new 169,000 square-foot hotel and spa with dining, shopping and adventures options along with 154 rooms.

Lake Tahoe area roadwork June 12-17

EMERGENCY PROJECTS

U.S. Highway 50 (El Dorado County): The highway is reduced to one lane in each direction at Bridal Veil Falls for slope repair work.

State Route 89 (El Dorado County) from Bliss Memorial State Park to Rubicon Glen Drive: Motorists can expect one-way traffic control at various locations from 6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday for dead tree removal work.

Lake Tahoe area roadwork June 4 - 10

SPECIAL EVENT

Motorists can expect northbound State Route 89 to be closed at Spring Creek Road from 6:30-8:30 a.m. on Sunday for “America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride.”

EMERGENCY PROJECTS

U.S. Highway 50 (El Dorado County): The highway is reduced to one lane in each direction at Bridal Veil Falls for slope repair work.

U.S. Highway 50 (El Dorado County) from Peavine Ridge Road to Hazel Valley Road: Westbound motorists can expect the #2 lane closed from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Wednesday for drainage work.

New traffic restrictions for South Lake road project

Traffic restrictions are changing for Caltrans’ two water-quality improvement projects in the Lake Tahoe Basin after Memorial Day to better accommodate peak season traffic while continuing construction.

Work on both the $57 million South Lake Tahoe “Y” to Trout Creek Bridge project on U.S. Highway 50 and the $70 million State Highway 89 West Shore project won't resume until Tuesday night.

Lake Tahoe area roadwork May 28-June 3

The following is the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) roadwork schedule for the week. Most work resumes on Wednesday after the holiday weekend but some work starts on Tuesday, check the schedule below.

EMERGENCY PROJECT

U.S. Highway 50 (El Dorado County): The highway is reduced to one lane in each direction at Bridal Veil Falls for slope repair work.

TTUSD and Auerbach Engineering team up on water quality project

Construction season has started in the Tahoe basin and the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District will utilize the warm weather and their student’s summer exit to complete projects that were approved under Measures E and U in 2014.

Auerbach Engineering Corporation was selected through a competitive bid process to provide Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) services for the Tahoe Lake Elementary reconstruction and the Rideout/Tahoe Lake Elementary temporary relocation projects.

Lake Tahoe area roadwork May 21-27

EMERGENCY PROJECTS

U.S. Highway 50 (El Dorado County): The highway is reduced to one lane in each direction at Bridal Veil Falls for slope repair work.

U.S. Highway 50 (El Dorado County) from Bull Creek Road to Alder Creek Road near White Hall: Motorists can expect intermittent one-way traffic control from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7 a.m. to noon Friday for drainage work.

Lake Tahoe area roadwork May 14-20

The following is a list of roadwork projects in the Lake Tahoe Basin, both on the North and South Shore.

EMERGENCY PROJECTS

U.S. Highway 50 (El Dorado County): The highway is reduced to one lane in each direction at Bridal Veil Falls for slope repair work.

U.S. Highway 50 (El Dorado County) from Bull Creek Road to Alder Creek Road near White Hall: Motorists can expect intermittent one-way traffic control from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7 a.m. to noon Friday for drainage work.

Cone Zone: Lake Tahoe and El Dorado County roadwork schedule May 7-13

SPECIAL EVENT

The AMGEN Tour of California Breakaway from Heart Disease women’s professional cycling race returns to Lake Tahoe on Thursday, May 11 and Friday, May 12. Stage 1 is scheduled from 10:40 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. and Stage 2 from 10:15 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. Motorists can expect delays at intersections as the 120 cyclists ride through. For more information, visit http://amgentourofcalifornia.com/home

EMERGENCY PROJECTS

Tahoe Roads launches new brand and improved website

Those who have used TahoeRoads.com for their roadwork and conditions information in the past will now find an all new, updated look.

California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has now included information on roads around the lake, including information from the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT).

The goals of the website are to:

- Educate the public on the benefits of the construction happening around the lake
- Keep the public and partners updated on project details and roadwork schedules

Work to begin next week on Highway 50 Project in South Lake Tahoe

Work is set to begin next week on reconstrucing a two-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 50 in South Lake Tahoe.

The $56 million Caltrans project from the “Y” intersection with State Highway 89 to the Trout Creek Bridge will build drainage systems to treat stormwater runoff as part of the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program (EIP), a multi-agency effort created to protect and improve the natural and recreational resources of the Lake Tahoe Basin.

Construction resumes on Incline Village to Sand Harbor shared use trail

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.

Help protect Lake Tahoe’s environment

As we celebrate Earth Day this April, let’s remember how important environmental stewardship is to the health of Lake Tahoe, and how important our individual actions are.

Over the last two decades, public, private, and nonprofit partners have made significant progress conserving and restoring Lake Tahoe’s environment through the Environmental Improvement Program.

Caltrans project outlined to South Lake Tahoe community

For the next three summers, Caltrans crews will be in town to work on their U.S. Highway 50 South Lake Tahoe Highway Improvement Project, and Caltrans spoke with locals Wednesday evening about what they could expect during the project which starts May 1, 2017 and should end by winter, 2019. This will be their last Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program (EIP) task to collect and treat stormwater runoff which accomplishes several other goals as well.

$57 million will be spent in South Lake Tahoe to also:

Douglas County to spend over $300k to solve Johnson Lane drainage issues

The Douglas County Board of County Commissioners authorized the County to enter into an Interlocal Agreement with the Carson Water Subconservency District

Caltrans to hold public meeting about 3 year long SLT road project

Event Date: 
April 12, 2017 - 5:45pm

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Caltrans is inviting the public to a meeting on Wednesday, April 12 from 5:45 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the South Lake Tahoe Library to learn more about their upcoming project on two miles of U.S. Highway 50 in South Lake Tahoe.

A project presentation will start at 6 p.m. Caltrans staff will be available after the presentation to answer questions.

Long summer of major road projects ahead for South Lake Tahoe

Get ready for the second of two seasons for South Lake Tahoe: Road Construction (the other being winter).

Caltrans will start their almost $57 million project along Highway 50 (US50) from the "Y" to Trout Creek Bridge on May 1, 2017.

Keep Tahoe Blue holding Pipe Keeper introductory training

Event Date: 
April 11, 2017 - 4:00pm

Pipe Keepers is a citizen science program to address the threat of stormwater pollution entering Lake Tahoe. Runoff from rain storms and snowmelt is the largest source of pollution that degrades Lake clarity. League staff will train you to survey local neighborhoods and collect stormwater samples during rain and snowmelt events.

Location

League to Save Lake Tahoe
2608 Lake Tahoe Blvd
United States
38° 55' 35.0544" N, 119° 59' 2.2308" W

NDOT holding public informational meeting about SR-28 shared-use path

Event Date: 
March 30, 2017 - 4:00pm

Learn more about the three-mile long shared-use path being created near Sand Harbor State Park on SR-28 during a public information meeting held by the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) on March 30 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Chateau in Incline Village.

Get information and updates on the construction which is planned to increase safety, accessibility and add water quality enhancements. NDOT will have schedules for this summer’s construction, and offer virtual reality tours of the future path.

Californians saved enough water to serve 6.24M homes for a year

Water conservation efforts in California have saved 2.51 million acre-feet of water since June of 2105. This is enough water to provide 6.24 million homes with water for a year, or almost one-third of the state's population.

Since state-mandated water restrictions have been in place, the cumulative statewide savings has been 22.5 percent, when compared with the previous 18-month period.

Since June 2015, the 817.9 billion gallons saved is enough water to supply more than 12.5 million people with water for a year has been saved at the state level.

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!

TRPA approves Tahoe Basin Area Plan, Lodge Project

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) Governing Board on Wednesday unanimously approved Placer County’s Tahoe Basin Area Plan and the Tahoe City Lodge Project.

“This is the fourth area plan approved at Lake Tahoe and an important milestone for implementing the 2012 Regional Plan,” said Joanne S. Marchetta, executive director of TRPA. “With this plan, we can take significant steps to improve the environment and strengthen communities on Lake Tahoe’s North Shore.”

Controversy brewing as City and County reps on Tahoe Conservancy Board resign

Friday's board meeting of the California Tahoe Conservancy (CTC) was delayed almost two hours due to ice on the road near near Zephyr Cove, causing it to close, and those weren't the only icy conditions on the South Shore that day.

The other ice could be felt during the meeting as conflict of interest, ethics, integrity, suspicious actions and lack of transparency were the theme of the day.

All three items on the agenda Friday were placed there amid a stressed relationship between the City of South Lake Tahoe, El Dorado County and Patrick Wright, the Executive Director of the CTC.

Learn how to keep Tahoe blue at next Pipe Keeper training

Event Date: 
February 12, 2017 - 2:00pm

The League to Save Lake Tahoe is looking for new Pipe Keepers, their citizen science program that addresses the threat of stormwater pollution entering Lake Tahoe.

They will be holding a "fun and interactive" Pipe Keeper Intro training on February 12 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the League's Education Center located at 2608 Lake Tahoe Blvd. in South Lake Tahoe.

Location

League to Save Lake Tahoe Education Center and Store
2608 Lake Tahoe Blvd
United States
38° 55' 35.0544" N, 119° 59' 2.2308" W

Greenbelt plans for South Lake Tahoe unveiled, public asked to comment

Now that the Tahoe Valley Area Plan has been approved for the Y area of South Lake Tahoe, plans are moving forward to create a greenbelt area that would improve connectivity, create more biking, walking and play space, as well as implementing stormwater improvements to keep Tahoe blue, and the community green.

Opinoin: Passage of Lake Tahoe Restoration Act caps year of progress

Four years ago this month, TRPA approved the 2012 Regional Plan. The landmark plan charts a course to restore Lake Tahoe’s environment and revitalize our communities and it was forged through Herculean work by California, Nevada, local governments, the public, and dozens of other partners.

Many Tahoe Basin stakeholders once questioned if we could work together, but the Regional Plan ushered in an era of collaboration. Today, the answer is how can we work together more efficiently. By building and strengthening partnerships we have made remarkable progress. This year was no different.

Late night vote in Washington brings $415 million to Lake Tahoe

Late Friday night, the U.S. House of Representatives joined the U.S. Senate in passing the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act of 2016, which will bring $415 million in future funding to Lake Tahoe over the next seven years. The decision brought cheers from many local agencies, including the League to Save lake Tahoe and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.

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