Interactive Map Offers 360-degree Views and Underwater Images of Lake Tahoe

Today, the Tahoe Fund and EarthViews Conservation Society released the first-ever “Street View” style map of all 72 miles of Lake Tahoe’s shoreline. This new, interactive Lake Tahoe ShoreView Map offers a 360-degree view of the shoreline, as well as underwater views and water quality data. 

“This map allows people to see Tahoe like never before,” said Amy Berry, CEO of the Tahoe Fund. “You can tour Emerald Bay, ‘paddle’ through the iconic rocks of Sand Harbor, or explore the hidden beaches along the East Shore with just the click of a button. Best of all, this new tool is bringing a wealth of data and information to scientists and conservation organizations working to improve the health of the Lake.” 

According to UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, conditions differ widely around the Lake’s nearshore — or the area ranging about 350 feet from the shoreline — due to variations in temperature, stormwater flow and runoff, aquatic invasive species, the effects of recreation, and fluctuation in lake levels. With these factors impacting water quality and the Lake’s iconic clarity, it’s critical to closely monitor the conditions on the shoreline. 

“This comprehensive look at today’s conditions will serve as a significant historical marker,” explained Brian Footen, president and co-founder of EarthViews Conservation Society. “Scientists will be able to look back 5, 10, or 50 years from now and understand how water quality and the physical shoreline have changed over time.” 

To create this map, Footen spent seven days circumnavigating the Lake in a kayak, with cameras and water quality measurement tools strapped to the vessel. Using mobile mapping technology, Footen was able to capture synchronized imagery and data every ten seconds as he navigated along the nearshore. This information was then published online as a “street view” like experience letting the user explore the shoreline from their desktop or mobile device.

For the past year, Footen has been conducting several conservation-minded waterway mapping projects for EarthViews Conservation Society, most notably the Puget Sound in Washington and the Great Salt Lake in Utah. Recently, he presented his findings from the Lake Tahoe ShoreView Map to the Tahoe Science Advisory Council to help inform on-going research and data collection in Lake Tahoe. 

The Tahoe Fund, a nonprofit organization that supports environmental improvement projects around the Tahoe Basin, provided the funding for the Lake Tahoe ShoreView Map. The organization works to improve lake clarity through funding initiatives like the 72-mile scuba clean up of Lake Tahoe and the Taylor-Tallac aquatic invasive species removal project. 

“This new tool is an opportunity to inspire learning and showcase the beauty and breadth of this Lake,” said Berry. “But don’t just take our word for it, go see it first-hand.” 

Explore the Lake Tahoe ShoreView Map here. 

Firefighters are bravely battling the Mosquito Fire, which continues to burn in the Tahoe National Forest. More than 11,000 residents of Placer County and El Dorado County are under evacuation orders. In Tahoe, smoke from the fire continues to impact air quality. 

Here’s a round-up of resources to help you stay informed about the fire itself, evacuation orders, air quality, and closures.

Mosquito Fire Incident Reports

• CAL FIRE Incident Report
• InciWeb Incident Report
• CAL FIRE NEU Nightly Virtual Community Meetings

Air Quality/Smoke

• Air Quality Map
• Smoke Forecaster

Evacuation Maps

• Placer County Evacuation Map
• El Dorado County Evacuation Map

U.S. Forest Closures

• El Dorado National Forest
• Tahoe National Forest

Relief Fund

• Mosquito Fire Relief Fund – Placer Community Foundation
• Mosquito Fire Relief Fund – El Dorado Community Foundation
  

On the eve of the 26th annual Lake Tahoe Summit, Tahoe Fund supporters, friends and elected officials gathered for an evening of cocktails in celebration of Lake Tahoe.

Guests had the opportunity to hear directly from US Senator Jacky Rosen, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak, Secretary Wade Crowfoot, and NV Energy President and CEO Doug Cannon. The event was sponsored by NV Energy and featured wines from axr Napa Valley.

Photos by Hannah Pence are now available on Flickr and Facebook for all to see. Please feel free to share your favorites and tag @TahoeFund!

Wildfires are burning hotter, faster and larger than ever before. Improving ailing forest health and preventing catastrophic wildfire is dependent upon a robust and specially trained Forestry workforce.

Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) is launching a new Forestry Education & Job Placement Program to prepare students for careers in this currently understaffed field. To incentivize participation and expand access to this new program, the Tahoe Fund will provide a scholarship to every student enrolled in its inaugural year.

Over the next five years, forestry management occupations are projected to have more than 200 annual job openings in the greater Sacramento region alone. Approximately 76% of these jobs will be for middle- and high-skilled occupations. California community colleges like LTCC are a big part of the plan to prepare this crucial workforce of the future.

“The Tahoe Fund’s top priority is forest health, and one of our greatest needs is getting more skilled professionals into our forests,” explained Tahoe Fund Board Member John Jones. “By providing scholarships for every student in LTCC’s new Forestry program, we are one step closer to strengthening this understaffed workforce that will make our forests healthier and help prevent wildfires.”

Beginning this fall, LTCC’s Forestry Education & Job Placement Program will teach students how to assist with forest management, planning, and implementation work. Participants can earn an Associate of Science degree along with several other certificates and industry-recognized credentials. Upon completion of the program, students will be prepared for employment with local, state, and federal natural resource agencies.

The Tahoe Fund will provide $1,000 scholarships for each and every student majoring in the new program. In order to receive this free funding, which will cover the majority of tuition, students must be registered in a minimum of five units per quarter of related coursework and maintain at least a 2.5 grade point average (GPA).

“LTCC is focused on providing students with an affordable path to college completion,” said LTCC Superintendent/President Jeff DeFranco. “These scholarships, combined with our Promise program, financial aid, and other programs, will help Forestry and Fire students graduate and move directly into employment in the field with little to no college debt.”

LTCC Forestry program graduates will be prepared for careers with Tahoe-based employers, including CAL FIRE, the USDA Forest Service, the California Tahoe Conservancy, the Tahoe Resource Conservation District, private forestry contractors, and other agencies that are part of the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team.

To learn more about the program, and see how you can apply, click here.

To support the Tahoe Fund’s forest health work, click here.