Released at Red Sky Summit, new guide offers a tech-focused blueprint to better prepare communities for wildfire

As wildfire risk intensifies across the West, the Tahoe Fund and partners today unveiled the Fire Smart Community Pilot Playbook at the Red Sky Summit, a gathering of leaders focused on wildfire technology solutions.

The new Playbook captures the process and lessons from the Fire Smart Community Pilot in Tyrolian Village (Incline Village, Nevada) — a first-of-its-kind initiative launched in 2025 to create the most fire-ready community in Lake Tahoe. The Pilot brought together advanced modeling tools, wildfire researchers, local fire districts and homeowners to identify and implement the “mitigations that matter most” for reducing wildfire risk.

“The Fire Smart Community Pilot proves that when you combine the right people, technology and commitment, communities can dramatically increase their wildfire resilience,” said Amy Berry, CEO of the Tahoe Fund. “We were proud to launch this Playbook at the Red Sky Summit, where we know so many leaders gather to innovate on wildfire resiliency. We hope this can be a model they can take home to their communities.”

A Model for Action

Developed in partnership with the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District (NLTFPD), Tyrolian Village HOA, The Climate and Wildfire Institute, Vibrant Planet, Fire Aside, BurnBot, and Dr. Hussam Mahmoud, RockRose Risk and Tahoe Fund, the Pilot demonstrates how neighborhoods can integrate cutting-edge risk modeling, innovative techniques for mitigating risk, and homeowner engagement to measurably reduce fire danger.

Key outcomes to date include:

• 61 acres of fuel treatments completed in Tyrolian Village, including 34 acres treated by BurnBot in under one week.
• 228 home inspections conducted through Fire Aside, providing residents with personalized defensible-space and home-hardening recommendations.
• Four additional pilots launched across the Tahoe Basin in Nevada and California, expanding this collaborative model region-wide.
• Positive insurance results emerging, including a 33% premium reduction for the McCloud HOA in Incline Village following mitigation actions.

“Technology like Vibrant Planet’s modeling and Fire Aside’s inspections allowed us to prioritize high-impact mitigations quickly,” said NLTFPD Chief Ryan Sommers. “These tools empower fire districts and homeowners alike to make smarter, faster decisions that save both time and property.”

Lessons for Replication

The Playbook provides a step-by-step guide for communities to replicate the Pilot, emphasizing the importance of:

• Strong local leadership from fire districts and community champions;
• Early engagement of technology partners and researchers;
• Collaboration with insurers to align risk reduction with coverage. 

“This isn’t someone else’s project. It’s ours — our neighborhood, our homes, our future,” said Greg Erfani, President of the Tyrolian Village HOA. “By treating our forest, hardening our homes and stepping up together, we’re showing that real change happens when a community decides it will defend itself. We’re sharing our lessons so that other communities can learn what we learned.”

To download the Playbook or connect with project partners, visit tahoefund.org/firesmartpilot or email info@tahoefund.org.

Ribbon cutting ceremony marks the opening of this new feature off Mt. Rose Highway

There’s a new way to experience one of Tahoe’s most loved outdoor recreation spots. The Tahoe Meadows Access Ramp is officially open, making it easier for everyone to enjoy the stunning boardwalk trails just off Mt. Rose Highway.

“Accessibility is a key part of ensuring that everyone can enjoy the beauty of Tahoe,” said Amy Berry, Tahoe Fund CEO. “This new ramp will help make Tahoe Meadows available to everyone, and we’re incredibly grateful to all of our partners and donors who helped make it happen.”

The Tahoe Fund partnered with the Tahoe Meadows Access Ramp Committee on a fundraising campaign to build an accessibility ramp. The NV Energy Foundation, the Keyser Foundation and dozens of Tahoe Fund donors helped to meet a $75,000 match provided by Steven and Sandy Hardie. The ramp was built by Granite Construction in partnership with the US Forest Service, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Carson Ranger District. 

The idea for this new ramp was originally brought to the Tahoe Fund by Reno community member Roberta Ross. “For years, it has been my dream to make this ramp a reality, and now here we are,” said Ross. “My message to everyone is that you too can make a difference. If you have an idea to bring change to your community, you can make it happen.” 

At a ribbon cutting ceremony today, the partners and donors who made this project possible gathered to celebrate the opening of the new ramp. “This place provides a sense of connectivity with nature, especially for our northern Nevada community,” said Jesse Murray, sr. vice president of energy delivery at NV Energy and a member of the Tahoe Fund’s Forest Committee. “NV Energy Foundation is thrilled to bring this ramp to life alongside the Tahoe Fund as it ensures sustainable and inclusive outdoor recreation for generations to come.”

In addition to the new ramp, the Tahoe Rim Trail Association and the US Forest Service, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Carson Ranger District have also been replacing sections of the boardwalks that were due to be decommissioned. Together, these projects mark major improvements in the Tahoe Meadows that will help transform this area into a hub for outdoor accessibility in the Tahoe Basin. 

Leaf peeping and wildlife viewing are on everyone’s agenda this fall, and the Taylor Creek Visitor Center is one of the best places for it! Located on the South Shore of Lake Tahoe, Taylor Creek Visitor Center welcomes more than 150,000 visitors every year. For many, it’s their very first introduction to the magic of Tahoe. For locals, it’s a cherished place to return to season after season. 

Over the years, the Tahoe Fund has supported numerous projects at this beloved site. One highlight was the addition of a new boardwalk and overlook in 2017. The overlook was thoughtfully designed to provide visitors with an accessible viewing area while keeping everyone a safe distance from bears and other wildlife. 

The Stream Profile Chamber is one of Taylor Creek’s most iconic features, giving visitors the ability to experience an underwater view of the creek’s vibrant ecosystem. Each school year, the Visitor Center welcomes more than 150 students a day, bringing classroom lessons to life through an up-close look at aquatic ecology.

When the chamber’s glass broke in May 2018, the chamber had to be closed until funding could be secured for repairs. Thanks to our partners at Tahoe Blue Vodka, we were able to step in and help bring this unique Tahoe treasure back to life.

Taylor Creek also has four trails with interpretive panels about the region’s rich cultural and environmental history. By 2022, the original panels from 1999 had become worn and weathered. Thanks to our amazing donors and partners, 23 brand new panels and displays were installed. These were also transcribed and recorded into the Basin’s first trilingual audio tour, available on the TravelStorys platform in Spanish, English and Washoe.

Thanks to donors like you, this special place continues to inspire curiosity, connection, and care for our local environment. The next time you visit, know that your support of the Tahoe Fund has helped ensure that Taylor Creek remains a place for everyone to experience the magic of Lake Tahoe.

This summer, over 60 kids from South Lake Tahoe spent their days climbing, golfing, and even attending a sleep-away camp as part of the Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe’s Summer Adventure program. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, this program helped open the doors to new experiences right here in Lake Tahoe:

• Weekly classes at Blue Granite Climbing Gym introduced youth to the thrill of indoor climbing.
• First Tee lessons at Bijou Golf Course gave participants their first taste of life on the green.
• A teen sleep-away camp brought together 25+ kids for three days of outdoor fun, teamwork, and lifelong memories.

By removing financial barriers, this program ensured children of all backgrounds could explore Tahoe’s outdoors together in a safe, supportive environment. Along the way, they built confidence, self-esteem, and a deeper connection to nature.

Together, we’re giving Tahoe’s youth life-changing opportunities and helping them create memories they will carry forever.

Thank you for making this impact possible.

Questions from our viewers get helpful answers from Dr. Sudeep Chandra.

Did you know that Lake Tahoe holds 39 trillion gallons of water?

This was just one of the incredible facts we learned during our livestream to the bottom of Lake Tahoe on September 5, 2025 via remote operated vehicle.

We were joined by an amazing panel of experts who made this deep dive possible:

• Lindsay Kopf – Founder & Executive Director of Restoring the Lake Depths Foundation, who piloted the ROV all the way to the lakebed at a depth of nearly 1,600 feet
• Tim Crandle – President of SeaView Systems, who shared the innovative technology that powered our descent
• Sudeep Chandra – Foundation Professor of Limnology at the University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe, who explained the science behind Tahoe’s legendary clarity

Throughout the event, we received dozens of fascinating questions from you, our audience. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to answer all of them during the livestream. But we didn’t want to leave them unanswered. Here are some of those questions and helpful answers from Dr Chandra:

Destinee asked: Is it true that there are elephants at the bottom of Lake Tahoe?

Dr. Chandra: To my knowledge there are no elephants at the bottom of the Lake.

Kathleen asked: What is the water temperature down at fifteen hundred feet?

Dr. Chandra: The deep waters of Tahoe are typically around 39-42 degrees Fahrenheit (4-5 degrees Celsius). So very cold! Typically, our deep lakes in our temperate climate, have colder water on the bottom and warmer water towards the surface which is warmed from the sun’s energy.

Steve asked: Do any species of fish live in Lake Tahoe? What are the white dots we are seeing on the video?

Dr. Chandra: There are 18+ fish species that have been found and have lived in Lake Tahoe. Fishes can live in different habitats. Scientists have observed fishes in the very deep waters of Tahoe (1600 feet) but they are rare. The fishes mostly live between 1 to 300 feet below the surface. Interestingly, the nonnative gamefish called lake trout (common name mackinaw) use the deep water mounds (60-150 feet below the surface) in Lake Tahoe for reproduction and spawning. 

The ROV was moving through the water, illuminating the flocculent material at the bottom. Flocculent material is comprised of sediments from the watershed, dead algae, organic and inorganic matter that has settled towards the lake bottom but partially suspended in the water. We may also have observed invasive mysid shrimp that live along the lake bottom during part of their life cycle.

Tom asked: So if cold water is heavier and would sink to the bottom, how does the 5-7 year mixing of warm and cold water occur?

Dr. Chandra: Mixing in lakes is a fun topic! Lake Tahoe mixes from shallow to mid depths every year however it is considered a meromictic lake, or a lake that mixes infrequently or perhaps never mixes from the top to the very bottom of the lake. Mixing water from the shallow to the deepest depths occurs every 4-7 years when the intense cooling of the shallow waters in winters and intense wind energy comes together to overcome density differences in water so the lake can completely mix.

Teri asked: We’ve been going to Tahoe for 40+ years and have noticed recently that we’ve actually been able to swim in it and it hasn’t been as cold as when we were younger.  Is this due to “mixing” that you just discussed? I used to not be able to even keep my toes in at the shoreline.

Dr. Chandra: The nearshore indeed has warmed and will continue to warm due the changes in climate. Scientific information shows that nighttime air temperatures are increasing in the Tahoe basin and “the growing season” is getting longer as there is early snow melt in Spring and the snow pack arrives towards the end of Fall into winter. All of these factors drive the warming of the nearshore surface waters. The warming not only will allow you to dip your toes in the nearshore but can lead to the establishment and movement of warmwater favoring, invasive species like warmwater fishes (e.g. bass, bluegill) or enhancing the densities of invasive clams. Here are some science papers that tackle the connection between climate change, warming and the changes in the ecology of the lake including biological invasions. 

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10584-013-0695-6

https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2310075121

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9781118470596.ch15

http://www.aquaticinvasions.net/2008/AI_2008_3_1_Kamerath_etal.pdf

Steve R. asked: What are the “crater” like things we’re seeing at the bottom? Is there much of any current at the bottom? Or is the water pretty still?

Dr. Chandra: The little “basin and range” looking features at the bottom are sediments that are placed along the bottom. The formation of these sediments are due to the settling of material but also the gentle currents at the bottom of the lake that move some of the sediments. There is likely no major, long standing current at the bottom but just enough to resettle and move the sediments. Much like a little bit of breeze can move dust on a table. So I would say the water is pretty still but still gently moves along the lake bottom.

Jack Asked: Why are there so many air bubbles down at that depth?

Dr. Chandra: What we were seeing is likely more of the sediment that looked like bubbles as they approached the ROV camera.  Some of the material on the bottom is organic so bacteria will use the carbon on that organic matter as an energy source and will produce carbon dioxide bubbles on the sediment surface and the water column.  This gas can eventually move into the water column and may eventually be released in the atmosphere as it diffuses through the column or is mixed through larger mixing processes. This is why lakes can be net emitters of greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide and methane. 

Bruce asked: What kind of scouring or flows are happening down there that is creating these shallow divots in the soft sediments?

Dr. Chandra: There is likely no major, long standing current at the bottom but just enough to resettle and move the sediments much like a little bit of breeze can move dust on a table. 

Bill asked: How deep is the sediment on the bottom of the lake? It looks like soft sand, is it?

Dr. Chandra: Most of the sediment along the deep bottom of the lake is made up of inorganic (non living) and organic (living) material. The inorganic material is made up of the granitic-like material deposited into the Lake from the watershed.  The organic material is from the settling phytoplankton (algae that grow in the water column) to the bottom of the lake due to a physical law called Stokes Law. Other organic matter can include the algae and plants that grow along the nearshore edge of the Lake, and to a lesser extent the animals that live in the lake that eventually are transported and settle to the lake bottom. In lakes typically sedimented organic and inorganic matter is focused due to physical and gravitational forces to the deepest part of the lake through a process called sediment focusing. 

Paleolimnologists take cores of sediments from the deep center of lakes to reconstruct the history of lakes over time. Basically, the deepwater sediments contain reservoirs of history since the origin of the lake. Two prominent paleolimnologists, Dr. Alan Heyvaert (Desert Research Institute) and Paula Noble (University of Nevada), have taken cores from the deepest part of the Lake to recreate the history of the Lake. Some of these cores were over 100 feet long and they still didn’t collect all of the sediment at the bottom.  

The cores show: 

• Past geological events: For example, the layer of ash from the eruption of Mount Mazama (which formed Crater Lake) that occurred approximately 8,000 years ago. This distinctive layer provides a crucial reference point for dating the other sediments.
• Past landslides: The cores suggest a massive underwater landslide occurred in the Lake sometime before 12,000 years ago, based on the sediment layers.
• Historical human impact: For example, the extensive logging during the Comstock era and improvements in Lake water quality and reduced sedimentation to the bottom as a result of the control of landuse development since the 1970s.

Can you imagine a 100 feet of sediments that are recording the history of the lake? 

Here are some science papers about the paleoscience that has been conducted in our Tahoe basin lakes by Drs. Heyvaerts, Noble and others.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10933-017-9961-3

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/es991309p

Ted asked: While SCUBA diving in Lake Tahoe near Meeks Bay, I periodically noticed little white calcified hemispheric nodules in the sand at 11m depth. I collected a few and posted them to iNaturalist thinking they were biologic in nature. But, I suspect they may be hydrologic/geologic in origin. Can anyone there shed any light to this curious, amateur, scientist?

Dr. Chandra: Hard to say without seeing the photos. But we can find calcified round structures on the bottom which are the internal parts of the invasive coldwater, signal crayfish. Are these the nodules you are seeing?

https://museum.wa.gov.au/explore/blogs/andrew-hosie/why-freshwater-crayfish-don-t-need-milk-healthy-bones

Justin asked: There was a small animal swimming by when you were discussing Jacques Cousteau. It moved like a shrimp. What was it? Thanks for sharing the livestream.

Dr. Chandra: Yes! We see both invasive mysid shrimp and native gammarus and chironomid (midge fly) species in the deep water. Mysid shrimp were introduced in the 1960 to augment the food for the nonnative game fishes. Turns out these shrimp can migrate each day from the top 60 feet to 1500 feet below the surface. As they migrate they feed on native plankton and eat sediments and particles that settle on the Lake bottom potentially acting as a biological pump of nutrients back into the water column. Although this concept needs to be explored more by scientists which takes additional resources. Dr. Charles Goldman, the founder of Lake Tahoe lake science, thought there could be two populations of shrimp. One population that lives along the deep Lake bottom while others may migrate. I observed deep water populations at 1600 feet in the late 1990s as part of the project and these shrimp were a clear translucent color compared to a pinkish color for the migrating shrimp. This concept also needs to be explored further and could be an excellent exploration for training the next generation of scientists who want to conserve the Lake. There is still so much that can be explored about the biology and sediments of the Lake bottom and how it connects to the Lake’s fragile clarity.

This journey to the bottom of Lake Tahoe was more than just an exciting exploration; it was a reminder of how much there is still to learn about this extraordinary place. From the tiny shrimp that migrate thousands of feet each day to the sediments that hold a record of thousands of years of Tahoe’s history, every detail of the Lake tells a story worth learning more about. 

Thanks to our incredible panel of experts, our donors, and everyone who joined us with such thoughtful questions, we are one step closer to understanding Tahoe’s mysteries and to inspiring the next generation of scientists and stewards who will help improve the Lake Tahoe environment for all to enjoy.