Study found way less trash in Lake Tahoe than in past years

Tahoe community organizations ranging from business associations to nonprofits to kayak rental companies have long been begging the lake’s visitors to be more responsible with picking up their trash. And now, the results of a two-year study and monitoring project in Lake Tahoe could suggest that the messaging may just be working.

The findings come from Clean Up The Lake’s twoyear project that sent scuba divers to clean up trash in 30 “litter hot spots” between 0 and 25 feet deep along Lake Tahoe’s shoreline. Hot spots were areas of heavier-thannormal trash, identified via diver observations and garbage data. The first sweep was finished in July 2021, and the second was completed in fall 2023.

The study found a significant decrease in litter over the two-year period on the Nevada side of the lake (the California areas have not yet been analyzed).

The trash collected on the Nevada side’s 20 hot spots totaled 879.5 pounds of litter in 2023 — a steep drop from 2021’s haul of 2,937 pounds. According to West, unofficial early analysis from the California side, which studied 10 hot spots, also shows a decrease.

The change could be for any number of reasons. Local nonprofits like the Tahoe Fund, which has spent millions on environmental awareness campaigns since 2010, hope it’s a sign that recreators are taking their messaging to heart.

“I do think people are being more careful,” said Caitlin Meyer, chief program officer for the Tahoe Fund. She credits Clean Up The Lake’s ongoing efforts, as well as comprehensive messaging. “Their successful work, along with ongoing public awareness campaigns around trash, have certainly drawn attention to the issue,” she added, “and I do think people are being more careful.”