The Tahoe Environmental Research Center shared its State of the Lake report at an annual gathering on Thursday.
Researchers from U.C. Davis shared the data they collected from the Lake Tahoe Basin during 2025.
Organizers say they host this event to share important factors that are affecting the health of Lake Tahoe.
Stephanie Hampton, the U.C. Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center Director, said, "It’s an opportunity for us to really synthesize all of that tremendous amount of research that we do up here all throughout the year, and so U.C Davis has been up here monitoring the health of the lake since the late 1960s.”
Something that was mentioned to be a key factor in the lake’s ecosystem was its clarity.
Not only does it make Lake Tahoe a popular destination, but it also keeps the ecosystem healthy.
They report that since the late 1990s, the lake has lost 70 feet of clarity.
Hampton also told us, "It's really just thinking about how far you can see in the water and what affects that water clarity, so we know that there are little particles in the water that affect the clarity. They can be sediment, but they can also be phytoplankton, which are microscopic plants, and they all kind of make the water a little bit cloudier.
Organizers say they worry about pollution making its way into the lake.
They say most people only think about plastic pollution affecting the water, but pollution that comes from cars is also affecting the lake’s health.
They suggest visitors carpool with friends or even travel by public transportation to reduce pollution.
Hampton said, "We do worry about plastic pollution in the lake and on the beaches, and so, everything you can do to cut down is great. We worry about the air pollution and some of the balloons that come off cars."
They spoke to us about the importance of outreach and education.
Making sure the younger generation is learning about the health of the lake will help them continue their mission in the future.
Sonnet Van Doren, an Education and Outreach Intern at Tahoe Environmental Research Center, told us, "I think it's super important for all of the locals and all of the visitors to know about the lake and to care about the lake, and I feel like caring about the lake. You have to know more about it."
