On Wednesday, January 29th, the organization Clean Up the Lake set out to take a dive into Donner Lake and South Lake Tahoe to collect trash and invasive species from the waters.
Unfortunately, the dive in South Lake Tahoe was canceled for safety reasons, as they needed a surface supervisor on the water with them which is not only imperative for safety but also data collection.
To date, from Donner Lake, they've collected 14,000 pounds of debris.
Clean Up the Lake all together has conducted over 460 dives. On the surface in Tahoe they've collected more than 7,800 pounds of litter, in the water they've collected over 70,000 pounds of litter coming out to over 78,000 pounds of trash collected total.
“They’re doing a lot of good work, pulling a lot of trash out of the lake, and they’re paying a lot of attention to the aquatic invasive species that we do see on that side of the lake,” said Courtney Johnson, the Program Coordinator for Clean Up the Lake.
They also collected other things besides trash during their dives.
Johnson says “There’s a lot of crawfish and Asian clams that are starting to surface so we’re monitoring that pretty heavily.”
The clarity of the lake isn't going to last if invasive species are left inside the lake.
“Everyone’s very excited about Lake Tahoe mostly because it’s so clear right? The clarity is monumental beautifying piece,” said Johnson.
She adds “For people like me, I enjoy the clarity of the lake but I want my nephews to be able to see that too, and I know that UC Davis they come out and they monitor the depths of the lake. How deep you can see. If we have a lot of invasive species like Asian clams taking over that depth of clarity will be lost.”
Johnson also says it's important to note that litter doesn't always end up in the lake on purpose.
“It could be from windy days or from people who just don’t know, so I think it’s really important to say here that if you pack it into the Lake or if you take it out onto the boat, be really mindful of where that trash is. Put it in a secure bag that has a tie to it.”
She also wants to remind everyone “Don’t let that trash go, take it back with you because even though you can’t see it from the surface it’s still there.”
“Lake Tahoe is a beautiful place," she said. "And we all love to visit and if you live here you love being here so we’re doing our part to make sure that we put our divers under the water and clean it up for everyone to have a really nice enjoyable experience in the lake.”
With the litter they collect they don't always recycle or throw the trash away. This year they're giving it to kids.
Johnson says “This summer we’re looking forward to participating in a trashion show so we’re collecting all of the litter we think can be converted into fashion pieces.”
She mentions “Don’t be trashy, make sure to pack in and pack out all of the trash that you bring. If it’s windy keep an eye on it. Do your best to make sure it doesn’t make its way into the lake.”
If you're interested in volunteering with Clean Up the Lake you can click on the link here.
