Lake Tahoe Clarity Report Shows Highs and Lows of 2023 Annual Report Records Trend of Clearer Winters, Murkier Summers in Famed Blue Lake. The clarity of Lake Tahoe’s famed blue waters in 2023 continued its years-long trend of improving during the winter and deteriorating during the summer. The annual clarity report, released today by the University of California, Davis–Tahoe Environmental Research Center, found that winter lake conditions were the clearest […] Guest Author | August 1, 2024 0 Comments
2022 Lake Tahoe Clarity: Average Annual Clarity Saw 18% Improvement Over Previous Year The Tahoe Environmental Research Center, or TERC, at the University of California, Davis, just released its annual Tahoe: State of the Lake Report, describing the past year as one of rapid biological change. The 2023 report presents data collected during 2022 and puts it in context with historical records. It also serves as an important resource for restoration, management, and […] SnowBrains | July 24, 2023 0 Comments
2021 Lake Tahoe Clarity: No Consistent Improvement in Last 20-Years The cobalt blue waters of Lake Tahoe were about as clear in 2021 as they were in 2020. But a broader look at clarity measurements shows there is no pattern of consistent clarity improvement over the past 20 years. The lake also has not fully recovered from a spike of fine particles that flowed into its waters after the extremely […] SnowBrains | July 8, 2022 1 Comment
2020 Lake Tahoe Clarity: Trends Holding but Threats Remain The Lake Tahoe water clarity measurements, which are indicators of the health of the watershed, averaged 62.9 feet through 2020, the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency announced last week. Last year’s report: Lake Tahoe’s Legendary Clarity Decreased by 8-Feet Last Year Lake Tahoe’s clarity peaked in February 2020 when it was deeper than […] SnowBrains | July 19, 2021 1 Comment
Lake Tahoe Water Clarity Holds Steady, 2024 Report Finds, but Progress Stalls Lake Tahoe’s long-term clarity record is not trending worse, nor is it improving, according to the 2024 annual clarity report from the University of California, Davis’ Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC). The report, released this week, documents steep declines in clarity through the 1990s before leveling off in recent years. In 2024, the annual average clarity for Lake Tahoe was […] Press Release | June 20, 2025 0 Comments
Decline in Non-Native Shrimp Population Believed to be Behind Improved Clarity of Lake Tahoe, CA/NV Lake Tahoe, California/Nevada, is well known for the crystal clear and majestic colors of its Caribbean-like water. Unfortunately, over the last few decades, researchers from UC Davis-Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) have seen Lake Tahoe’s clarity fluctuate and decline. The turquoise and cobalt blue water, which attracts millions of visitors every year from all over the world, is not as […] John Cunningham | October 15, 2024 0 Comments
Lake Tahoe’s Clarity the Best It’s Been Since 1980s The Return of Native Zooplankton Aided Tahoe Clarity Efforts in 2022 For the last five months of 2022, Lake Tahoe was the clearest it has been since the 1980s. That is partly due to a resurgence of the lake’s native zooplankton. They’ve provided a natural clean-up crew to help restore the lake’s famous blue waters. The findings are reported in […] SnowBrains | April 12, 2023 0 Comments
Lake Tahoe’s Legendary Clarity Decreased by 8-Feet Last Year This report first appeared on the UC Davis website The clarity of Lake Tahoe has long been one of the most important indicators of the changing condition of this iconic water body. In 2019, Lake Tahoe’s clarity decreased nearly 8 feet from the previous year’s dramatic 10-foot improvement. The average annual value in 2019 was 62.7 feet. The lowest value […] SnowBrains | June 11, 2020 0 Comments
Annual ‘Tahoe: State of the Lake Report’ | Temperature Rising, Clarity Improving, Aspens Dwindling Lake Tahoe, with its iconic blue waters straddling the borders of Nevada and California, continues to face a litany of threats related to climate change. But a promising new project to remove tiny invasive shrimp could be a big step toward climate-proofing its famed lake clarity. Related: Lake Tahoe is Fullest for Two Decades | Heavy Snowmelt Means it’s […] SnowBrains | August 2, 2019 0 Comments
Lake Tahoe’s Legendary Clarity Improved by Over 10-Feet Last Year Lake Tahoe’s legendary water clarity improved in 2018 thanks to a return to more normal weather and streamflow conditions, according to a report. The annual report by UC Davis researchers found the average clarity level in 2018 improved dramatically to 70.9 feet, a 10.5-foot increase from 2017. Related: Lake Tahoe 2017 = Worst Clarity on Record Two years ago clarity […] SnowBrains | May 24, 2019 0 Comments
Lake Tahoe 2017 = Worst Clarity on Record UC Davis recently released their annual “Tahoe: State of the Lake Report 2018”. The report details two very important findings: Lake Tahoe saw its worst ever clarity readings on record – 59.7′ Lake Tahoe saw its highest surface temperatures on record – 68.4ºF “The average clarity level for 2017 was 59.7 feet, a 9.5 foot decrease from the previous year, […] Weather WeatherBrains | August 30, 2018 0 Comments
The Clarity of Lake Tahoe Declined Almost 10-Feet Last Year Citing the convergence of drought, record precipitation, and warm temperatures, researchers announced Wednesday that Lake Tahoe’s famed clarity declined 9.5 feet in 2017, reports the Tahoe Daily Tribune. The numbers from the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) follow a 3.9-foot decrease in average annual clarity in 2016. “In 2017, Lake Tahoe’s low clarity was primarily the result of […] Steven Agar | June 13, 2018 1 Comment
Lake Tahoe’s Water Clarity Declined in 2015: Lake Tahoe Water Clarity Declined in 2015 Warmer Waters Contribute to Decline of Lake Tahoe Water Clarity in Annual Report By Kat Kerlin/UC Davis on April 19, 2016 Raph Townsend, a research associate with UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, drops a net to collect zooplankton from Lake Tahoe. Credit: Gregory Urquiaga/UC Davis Quick Summary Lake Tahoe clarity declines […] Industry News Guest Author | April 21, 2016 0 Comments
Tahoe: State of Lake Report 2015 | Best Clarity in 10+ Years UC Davis released their annual “State of the Lake” report about Lake Tahoe, CA today. The detailed report can be read here: Full “State of the Lake” Report Highlights from the “State of the Lake” Report: Blueness: Tahoe’s blueness found to be more due to low algae count, less to do with clarity. Clarity: Average annual water clarity was the best in more than a decade, improving from 70.2 feet in 2013 to 77.8 feet in […] Industry News SnowBrains | July 23, 2015 0 Comments
STUDY: Lake Tahoe Water Clarity BEST in 10+ Years: Lake Tahoe water clarity hit it’s best point since 2002 at 77.8-feet of clarity. That’s a 7.5-feet improvement in clarity from last year and a huge improvement of the lowest ever recording of 64.1-feet in 1997. The best clarity measurement for Tahoe was 102.4-feet in 1968. They acquire this measurement by dropping a 10-inch diameter white disk and sinking it until it is no longer visible. The last depth the disk is visible is the depth they use as the clarity measurement. Researchers actually got one reading this past July […] SnowBrains | April 8, 2015 0 Comments
The State of Lake Tahoe Report 2014: Low Lake Levels, Clarity Remains 75-feet, Temps Go Up… UC Davis just released their annual “State of the Lake Report.” This report speaks to Tahoe’s clarity, temperature, deep mixing, algae, future, and more. Here are some of the main points from the 2014 report: Lake Tahoe only rose 6 inches from spring snowmelt this year, one of the lowest rises in history. Tahoe will fall below natural rim level later this year. Clarity remained at 75.3 feet, the same as 2012, but 13 feet better than 2011. This is most likely due to the low rainfall/snowfall […] Conditions Report SwellBrains | August 22, 2014 1 Comment
2013 State of Lake Tahoe Report Released | Clarity Goes Up, Long Term Looks Grim… UC Davis’ annual “Tahoe: State of the Lake Report 2013” yesterday. Davis researchers have been studying Lake Tahoe’s chemistry, biology, clarity, and physics since 1968. Their reports are in depth, well put together, and extremely interesting. Clarity in the lake has improved for the 2nd straight year from 68.7 feet to 75.3 feet (clarity was at 100 feet in 1968). This […] Weather SnowBrains | August 8, 2013 12 Comments
Palisades Tahoe, CA, Targets Saturday, December 27 Opening as Major Storm Cycle Delivers Big Snowfall After weeks of limited operations, Palisades Tahoe announced Tuesday that it is preparing for a significant terrain expansion and a projected opening day for key lifts on Saturday, December 27, as a powerful winter storm system continues to build over the Sierra Nevada. The resort said the past 72 hours brought top-to-bottom snowfall, including up to 12 inches on the upper […] Industry News Martin Kuprianowicz | December 23, 2025 0 Comments
Palisades Tahoe, CA, Reaches Agreement with Keep Tahoe Blue and Sierra Watch to Settle Litigation on Proposed Development Plans Palisades Tahoe has reached an agreement with Keep Tahoe Blue and Sierra Watch to settle litigation challenging proposed development in Olympic Valley. The organizations have issued the following shared statement: “Sierra Watch, Keep Tahoe Blue, and Palisades Tahoe negotiated in good faith to find a solution that effectively ends the fourteen-year conflict over Olympic Valley while supporting the social, economic, […] Industry News Press Release | July 9, 2025 0 Comments
League to Save Lake Tahoe Files Lawsuit Challenging the Palisades Tahoe, CA, Development Project The League to Save Lake Tahoe, Califoria, the nonprofit environmental advocacy organization behind the movement to Keep Tahoe Blue, has filed a lawsuit formally challenging Placer County’s approval of the Village at Palisades Tahoe Specific Plan a development they claim would worsen traffic congestion, increase air pollution, erode roadways, and degrade water quality in the Lake Tahoe Basin. “As a […] Industry News SnowBrains | December 5, 2024 0 Comments
Weather
Industry News
Conditions Report
