Since it’s inception in 1999, CWES faculty have been or currently are involved in more than 40 research projects in the Lake Tahoe basin.

Algal growth and fine sediment entering the lake have produced an average 1-foot per year decline in lake clarity since the 1960s.

For this reason, the majority of CWES projects have focused on identifying the sources and amounts of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus), which trigger algal growth, and fine (< 10 micron) sediment and the processes by which they enter the lake, and how best to remove them from runoff entering the lake.

Best Management Practices

Erosion control and sediment and nutrient removal projects are known as best management practices (BMPs). BMPs in the Lake Tahoe basin range from constructed wetlands to highway sediment capture and nutrient removal structures.