Highway construction. Reno, Nevada

The Laboratory for Regional Ecological Activities is an interesting group working out of Stanford that monitors the regional effects of ecological changes.  They can be found on the web here.  To quote their site:

We study how ecosystems and the services they provide to people are changing at regional levels. Our group consists of ecologists, remote sensing specialists, biogeochemists and land-surface modelers, working together scientifically to support conservation, management, and policy development.

There are many links to interesting articles on their site.  One study on selective logging in the Amazon determined that “that nearly one-third of the areas that were logged selectively were completely deforested for grazing and other uses within four years…Sixteen percent of selectively logged forests were cleared within just one year”

Off Season. Homewood Ski Resort. Lake Tahoe.

Here’s another highlight of the work going on at the Desert Research Institute.  Mary Cablk studies the connections between wildlife and the landscape.  One of her projects of particular note for Lake Tahoe, developed a method for calculating impervious cover areas using remote sensing.  This work is significant to Tahoe where impervious surfaces are an important contributing factor to the lake’s loss of clarity.  Mary’s work takes her further afield, as well, including studies on pine martens, lizards, tortoises, and coyotes.  In the desert near Joshua Tree National Monument, Mary is utilizing K9′s to locate and survey desert tortoises.

For more information on Mary’s work, visit her website.

Lake Tahoe ski resorts receive environmental ratings.

An interesting article from the Associated Press discusses the Ski Area Citizens Coalition’s ninth annual environmental review.  According to the article, Mt. Rose received a typical rating for a Lake Tahoe ski resort:

With an overall B, Mount Rose’s categorical scoring was consistent with the majority of the resorts. The mountain on the southwest edge of Reno halfway to Lake Tahoe earned an A for habitat protection and B for watersheds, but a D for doing too little to address climate change and an F for environmental practices.

Check out the article here.

Gated pier, Lake Tahoe, California

Recent events have brought to mind an interesting Op-Ed from the San Francisco Chronicle in support of a federal judge’s injunction against the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency’s (TRPA’s) policy allowing an increase of piers and buoys in Lake Tahoe.

At Tahoe, I am reminded often of the old joke that the best two days of a boat owner’s life is the day he buys the boat and the day he sells it.  The commerce surrounding boats and marinas at Tahoe certainly contributes to the local economy.  I am unclear, though, as to why piers cannot be shared.  I put this question to one home owner who would like to install a pier.  “It raises our home value,” was the answer.  From my perspective, on the lake in a kayak enjoying the shoreline, the piers detract from the property value.

The SacBee has reported on the new “eco-friendly” development Boulder Bay Resort & Wellness Center resort being planned for the Biltmore property at North Shore stateline.  The supporters champion the green roofs, reduced erosion, the resort’s emphasis on spa rather than gambling, and, of course, jobs.  The critics question the traffic, the need for another resort, and TRPA’s eventual build-out of Tahoe.  Current resort development projects elsewhere on the Lake Tahoe include the major South Tahoe Redevelopment and the gearing up of Homewood Mountain Resort’s make-over and expansion.

In the Bee article, TRPA spokesman Dennis Oliver is quoted:

Oliver believes deeper currents are swirling. “A lot of these conflicts and lawsuits are about the environmentalists wishing the world were different,” he said. “They want their reality to dictate policy.” And, he added, “Their fundraising depends on conflict.”

These are unfortunate remarks, which, when turned around, raise interesting questions of their own.  How does TRPA view the world?  What does their “fundraising” depend upon?

Or as one reader commented to me:

Just replace the word “environmentalists” with “developers” in the spokesman’s quote above, and you’ll know what the real situation is.  I looked up the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency’s mission:  “The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency cooperatively leads the effort to preserve, restore and enhance the unique natural and human environment of the Lake Tahoe region now and in the future.”  That a spokesman for an agency supposedly charged with protecting resources for future generations could make such a ridiculous statement is an indictment of their organization.

Wetland. South Lake Tahoe, California.

In the next few posts I wanted to turn people on to some of the great work being done on Tahoe by the folks at the Desert Research Institute.

A few years back Ken Adams and Tim Minor wrote a shoreline study:

“Historic Shoreline Change at Lake Tahoe from 1938 to 1998 and Its Impact on Sediment and
Nutrient Loading” ( Journal of Coastal Research, Vol. 18, No. 4 (Autumn, 2002), pp. 637-651, Published by: Allen Press)  You can find it here:  http://www.jstor.org/stable/4299116

They found that 7,150 metric tons of shoreline sediment erode into Lake Tahoe each year.  From this, they estimate that approximately 2 metric tons of phosphorus and 1.8 metric tons of nitrogen also wash into the lake each year. These shore zone erosion rates are second only to stream loading.  They conclude that shore zone erosion contributes significantly to sediment loading and less so to the Lake Tahoe’s nutrient budget.

Here’s an interesting article from the Observer about the release of previously classified spy satellite photographs by the Obama administration.  This photography reveals striking space views of polar ice cap melting.  Read the artice here.

Spring Boat. Homewood.

Passing this along from the League to Save Lake Tahoe:

Boating on Tahoe This Summer?
Do Your Part

An infestation of invasive mussels is an immediate threat to Lake Tahoe this summer.  The quagga and zebra mussels reproduce and colonize quickly and if introduced to Lake Tahoe would do irreparable damage to our ecosystem.

The League is urging all users of Lake Tahoe to limit their boating to “dedicated” boats – that is, to use ONLY boats and accessories (including kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, and other flotation devices) that are used SOLELY on Lake Tahoe, and not on other water bodies.  We know this is a sacrifice for many, but we think it is the right thing to do – the risk to Lake Tahoe is enormous, and both boating and beach enjoyment could be lost for all if these invaders infest and establish themselves here.

Boat inspectors have already discovered a number of invasive species on boats attempting to launch at Lake Tahoe.  Luckily, the boats have been quarantined and decontaminated.  But we all must realize that often times quagga and zebra mussels can be extremely difficult to see – please help us to protect Lake Tahoe by taking the following precautions:
• If you’re planning to launch a boat from shore and the boat has been in any other body of water, be sure to clean, drain, and dry it completely.  Give it a thorough visual inspection.  If you notice anything suspicious, take it to a public boat launch where it can be examined by a certified inspector.  Click here for boat launch hours and info.
• All public boat launches and marinas are now staffed by a boat inspector who examines boats for evidence of mussels.  Boat launches are only open when an inspector is present.  Click here for hours of public boat launches.
• Inspection fees for motorized boats range from $10-60 depending on the size of boat.   All funds go directly to the inspection program.  There is currently no charge to inspect a nonmotorized watercraft.
For more information, visit www.protecttahoe.org. Thanks for helping to Keep Tahoe Blue and mussel free!

Impromptu Boundary

After the loss of his studio and archives to bankruptcy, Carleton Watkins began work on his New Series, where upon he re-photographed the West and rebuilt and expanded his photographic archive. A commission by the Hearst Mining Company brought him to Virginia City, Nevada. Watkins also photographed mining operations near Markleeville, California and Carson City, Nevada, railroad and water projects near Donner Summit, and hydraulic mining operations further west in California’s Gold Country.

While passing through Lake Tahoe he would take pictures of the resorts, as well as general lake views. He would also take portraits for the lumberjacks employed in the Tahoe Basin logging timber for the mines of the Comstock Lode.

Included in Lake Tahoe: A Fragile Beauty, alongside the Twain essays are a selection of Watkins New Series Tahoe photographs provided by the Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology on the UC Berkeley campus. We only had space for a small number of images in Lake Tahoe: A Fragile Beauty, yet Phoebe Hearst’s collection of 140 Watkins photographs are the basis for the museum’s photography collection. I strongly encourage readers to visit the Phoebe Hearst Museum and the Online Archive of California to see more of Watkins’ photography from the area. As one fascinated by how the land speaks to our relationship with nature and the environment, I find the photography of Virginia City and Markleeville particularly engaging.

In general, I find Watkins’ work captivating. During the late-19th Century, his photography gave eastern audiences important views of a western landscape they were only able to read about, leading, ultimately, to the founding of Yosemite and other national parks. Today, these photographs offer another important first glimpse – for us. Watkins allows us to look back upon the land, exactly at the arrival of our industrial culture. The Gold Rush was the first human migration in history blessed so. It was a time not so long ago.

3 Minutes on the Fourth of July

Here’s an interesting post from the Tahoe Divers Conservancy.  They are alarmed at the growth they are witnessing in the shallows of  Emerald Bay.

Scientists believe the growth being found in the near shore areas of Emerald Bay are the same algae found in the streams, and not the invasive species found near the marinas.  Due to the warm drought conditions this year, algal growth is on the increase.

Boat Rack. Homewood, California.

This winter, concerns over effects of 130 years of invasive species in Lake Tahoe heated up when concern over the pervasive quagga mussle led to an agreement that all boats must be cleaned before being launched into Tahoe’s crystal clear waters.  Restrictions on boat launches have been put in place. Please support the League to Save Lake Tahoe’s more comprehensive measures.

Information on Lake Tahoe’s invasive aquatic species can be found at the Tahoe Environmental Research Center, the League To Save Lake Tahoe, and this presentation by University of Nevada’s Sudeep Chandra.

This issue of invasive species is by no means unique to Lake Tahoe, but Tahoe is a natural point of convergence and, once again, a microcosm of environmental concerns elsewhere.  Boats from as far away as Idaho and Texas are regularly put into Tahoe.  The April 2009 issue of National Geographic Magazine makes two references to California’s Sierra Nevada, one in this article on effects of invasive species and disease on amphibians.

Lake Tahoe boat launch information can be found at Tahoe Resource Conservation District.