Tahoe Fund

What runs deeper than Lake Tahoe? Our desire to preserve it.

You are here: Home / Archives for News

Clean Up The Lake Completes 72 Mile Clean-up of Lake Tahoe, Recovering 25,281 Pounds of Trash

by

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. (May 10, 2022) – The Clean Up The Lake SCUBA dive team that embarked on an extraordinary effort to recover submerged litter around all 72-miles of Lake Tahoe’s shoreline – that launched on May 14, 2021 – has officially completed the project. In total, the dive team collected 24,797 pieces of litter, bringing the total weight removed to 25,281 pounds.

The project was made possible by a $100,000 matching donation from Tahoe Blue Vodka, contributions from more than 135 Tahoe Fund donors including Vail Resorts, and the Nevada Division of State Lands’ Lake Tahoe License Plate program and other local grant giving foundations.

“Over the past year, despite winter weather, covid and wildfire related challenges, our dive team has been in the water at every opportunity to complete this unforgettable effort,” said Colin West, founder and executive director of Clean Up The Lake. “While the dive team has removed many expected and unexpected items along the way, ultimately what we hope people remember is the length that one group of individuals was willing to go to in order to protect their home and their planet, and in turn people should ask themselves how they are choosing to contribute to preserving our environment today.”

As divers circumnavigated the lake, they recovered not only plastic bottles, cans and other “typical” litter, but items that included engagement rings, 1980’s Nikon film cameras, entire lamp-posts, “no littering” signs, massive pieces of broken down boats and engine blocks, lost wallets, cordless home telephones, a blackberry mobile phone, and more.

“Tahoe Blue Vodka sponsored this effort because we place tremendous value on the health of Lake Tahoe, not only because our vodka is inspired by its waters, but because it is such a huge part of what makes our community so special,” said Matt Levitt, Tahoe Blue Vodka founder. “The perseverance of the dive team and volunteers who never gave up, and their commitment to continuing clean-up efforts both in Lake Tahoe and other waterways in our region is inspiring.”

Clean Up The Lake will collaborate with scientific institutions and environmental consultants to study the recovered litter to develop a better understanding of its impact on Lake Tahoe. In addition, the Tahoe Fund with support from Tahoe Blue Vodka, recently announced it has commissioned artists to create a sculpture using some of the recovered items from the Lake. “Surfaced,” a permanent art installation, will be featured at the new Tahoe South Events Center to educate visitors about what lies beneath Tahoe’s blue waters.

“When we began the fundraising effort for this project, we knew it had the potential to have incredible impact on the health of Lake Tahoe,” said Allen Biaggi, Tahoe Fund board member. “The individual and corporate donors that helped make this project happen clearly demonstrated what Lake Tahoe means to them, and that efforts like these are worthwhile. Congratulations to the Clean Up The Lake team for completing this historic project.”

Clean Up The Lake is excited to announce that they will be performing clean-ups across four lakes this year, beginning as soon as next week. This will include intensive monitoring projects on both Lake Tahoe and Donner Lake, a circumnavigated clean-up of Fallen Leaf Lake located within the Tahoe basin, and an expansion to the Mammoth Lakes region for the clean-up of June Lake. West said, “I still can’t quite grasp what our team has accomplished, completing this 72-mile clean-up is a testament to what our team is capable of, and we are just getting started.”  

MJD Capital Partners and Truckee Tahoe Lumber Company are new project partners to Clean Up The Lake’s next projects while past donors including Tahoe Fund, Tahoe Blue Vodka, Nevada Division of State Lands Lake Tahoe License Plate program, Martis Fund, Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation, Tahoe Mountain Resorts Foundation, Alpenglobal Capital and others continue to support their efforts.  Despite current support, Clean Up The Lake’s 2022 projects require additional funding. Donate now at www.cleanupthelake.org/donate. 

About Tahoe Fund 

The Tahoe Fund is a nonprofit founded in 2010 to support environmental improvement projects that restore lake clarity, enhance sustainable recreation, promote healthier forests, improve transportation and inspire greater stewardship of the region. Through the generous support of its donors, the Tahoe Fund has leveraged more than $10 million in private funds to secure more than $60 million in public funds for more than 60 environmental projects. The projects include new sections of the Lake Tahoe Bikeway, restoration of watersheds, removal of aquatic invasive species, forest health projects, new hiking trails, and stewardship programs. Learn more at www.tahoefund.org.

About Tahoe Blue Vodka 

Tahoe Blue Vodka was founded in 2012 by local entrepreneur Matt Levitt. The award-winning taste combines pristine Tahoe sourced water with a blend of grapes, corn and sugarcane for clean, gluten-free, crisp taste and smooth finish. Tahoe Blue Vodka has won over 25 prestigious awards at the highest regarded spirits tasting competitions. Through its parent company, Tahoe Spirits, Inc., Tahoe Blue Vodka has donated over $200K of its proceeds to organizations that work to protect Lake Tahoe and its surrounding environment. Tahoe Blue Vodka is available in stores throughout Reno/Tahoe/Northern Nevada, Sacramento, San Francisco and will soon be available in Southern California. For more information about Tahoe Blue Vodka, please visit www.tahoebluevodka.com.

About Clean Up The Lake 

Clean Up The Lake is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to fight back against plastic and all forms of pollution in the global environment, both on land and under the surface, starting with Lake Tahoe and the Cayes in Belize. Our flagship project, the 72 mile clean up,  is the first ever man powered circumnavigation of Lake Tahoe using SCUBA. This project will be accompanied by a large-scale trash clean-up of every inch of the 72-mile sub-surface shoreline. In addition to our presenting sponsor Tahoe Blue Vodka working with Tahoe Fund, Vail Resorts, NDSL Lake Tahoe License Plate Program, additional grant funding agencies for this project included Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation in association with Martis Fund, Tahoe Mountain Resorts Foundation and American Century Championship. Learn more and donate to our other causes at cleanupthelake.org.

Details on the scope of CUTL’s 2022’s future projects are available here.

About Nevada Division of State Lands/Tahoe License Plates 

Administered by the Nevada Division of State Lands through the Nevada Tahoe Resource Team, since 1998, Nevada Lake Tahoe License Plate (NV-LTLP) sales and annual renewal fees have been invested in projects that help protect, restore, and enhance Lake Tahoe’s unique natural environment. Projects funded directly through the NV-LTLP program range from water quality initiatives and state park improvements, to research and monitoring studies, invasive species surveys and removal, climate change research, and public education efforts. To date, the NV-LTLP program has generated over $9 million, funding over 165 preservation and restoration projects on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe. All Nevadans can help preserve and protect Lake Tahoe by purchasing a Lake Tahoe license plate for $61 with an annual renewal fee of $30. Learn more: lands.nv.gov/TahoePlate

PUBLIC WORKSHOPS SCHEDULED FOR NEW LAKE TAHOE DESTINATION STEWARDSHIP PLAN

by

Lake Tahoe residents, community members and stakeholders interested in the responsible management of tourism and recreation are invited to take part in workshops this month to create a destination stewardship plan that will balance the needs of Lake Tahoe’s environment, businesses, visitors, and local communities. This new shared strategy will inspire all to take care of Tahoe.

A collaboration of 13 public and private sector organizations invite residents and stakeholders in the greater Tahoe region, including Truckee, Calif., to weigh in during a series of visioning workshops scheduled for May 2022.

Residents and stakeholders are invited to participate in the visioning workshops on May 16, 17, and 18 in locations around the Tahoe Basin, plus an option for Zoom.

Experts in the field of destination stewardship, including the Center for Responsible Travel (CREST), and the Travel Foundation, are helping guide the process to create a shared vision and decision-making framework for sustainable management of tourism and recreation throughout the Lake Tahoe region. Additionally, the team includes South Lake Tahoe-based research firm SMG Consulting and Civitas Advisors specializing in sustainable funding solutions.

“The way people access and rely on public lands is changing. In everything from hiking to skiing we are welcoming new and more diverse users, sometimes in growing numbers.” said Erick Walker, Forest Supervisor, USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. “Now is the time for us to come together to learn how we can better coordinate and improve the whole picture.”

A core team is leading the project from federal, state, county, tribal, and local governmental organizations, as well as businesses, nonprofits, and all four destination organizations that market and manage Lake Tahoe area tourism.

“This unprecedented collaboration with land managers, visitors authorities and the local community is exactly what we need right now,” said Tahoe Fund CEO and core team representative Amy Berry. “Together, we will work to develop a plan that will improve the quality of the Tahoe experience for everybody while also taking care of our extraordinary environment.”

To ensure the plan supports a shared vision for future tourism and recreation, it will draw inspiration from extensive local engagement, including two rounds of public workshops, one-on-one interviews, and focus group meetings with stakeholders including the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California.

The first round of workshops invites participants to identify opportunities for increasing the direct benefits of tourism and recreation, while addressing the challenges, and creating the plan’s vision and mission statements as well as key goals.

Following are the dates, locations, and times of five in-person events:

  • May 16 – North Tahoe Event Center, Kings Beach, CA – 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
    Truckee citizens are invited to Kings Beach, Incline Village, and Virtual Zoom workshops
  • May 17 – Parasol Community Foundation, Incline Village, NV – 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
  • May 18 – Lake Tahoe Community College, South Lake Tahoe, CA – 11:30 a.m to 1:30 p.m.
  • May 18 – Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority Office, South Shore/Stateline – 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
  • Virtual Zoom Workshop – date to-be-determined

A fifth virtual workshop will be scheduled following the May workshops. All are invited to register for a workshop, learn more about the planning process, and sign up to receive news about the project, results from workshops, and additional opportunities for feedback at StewardshipTahoe.org.

TAHOE FUND & CLEAN UP THE LAKE INVITE PUBLIC TO VOTE ON NEW SCULPTURE DESIGN MADE FROM LITTER REMOVED BY SCUBA DIVERS

by

Voters have until May 20 to select a fox, trout or bald eagle for the permanent art installation at the new Tahoe South Events Center

Following the unprecedented year-long scuba clean-up of Lake Tahoe by Clean Up The Lake, the Tahoe Fund with support from Tahoe Blue Vodka, commissioned artists to create a sculpture using some of the recovered items from the Lake. “Surfaced,” a permanent art installation, will be featured at the new Tahoe South Events Center to educate visitors about what lies beneath Tahoe’s blue waters. Today, the nonprofits are launching a contest inviting the public to vote on the endangered animal form the sculpture will take: a Sierra Nevada Red Fox, Lahontan Cutthroat Trout or Bald Eagle holding a Lahontan Cutthroat Trout. Votes can be cast online until May 20.

Voters have until May 20 to select a fox, trout or bald eagle for the permanent art installation at the new Tahoe South Events Center

“Clean Up The Lake’s incredible effort to surface trash around all 72-miles of Lake Tahoe is nearing completion and the team has already removed over 21,000 pounds of trash,” said Amy Berry, Tahoe Fund CEO. “By creating a permanent art sculpture at this wonderful location with some of what was recovered from the lake, our hope is that it will inspire greater environmental stewardship and remind those who love Lake Tahoe that it’s up to all of us to take care of it.”

“Our team has been hard at work beneath the surface of Lake Tahoe for the past year,” said Colin West, founder of nonprofit Clean Up The Lake. “We are thankful to have such a wonderful location to see our work turn into a beautiful piece of art that will further our efforts to improve the environment.”

Known for creating beautiful art from recycled and reclaimed materials, the sculpture will be made by internationally recognized artists Joel Dean Stockdill and Yustina Salnikova by Building 180. One of their best known sculptures is “Ethyl,” an 82-foot life-size whale made from 5,000 pounds of hand recycled trash that was commissioned by the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Hub Strategy & Communication for a campaign about plastic pollution and ocean conservation.

In 2020, Clean Up The Lake partnered with the Tahoe Fund to raise the funds necessary for the first-ever 72-mile scuba clean-up of Lake Tahoe. Thanks to a matching $100,000 donation from Tahoe Blue Vodka, $25,000 from Vail Resorts, more than 135 Tahoe Fund donors, NDSL’s Lake Tahoe License Plate Program and other grant giving agencies, the dive team started the clean-up on May 14, 2021. Their effort is expected to be completed on May 10, 2022.

The new Tahoe South Events Center, scheduled for opening in early 2023, will feature two levels: an event floor, suites, conference and meeting room level, as well as an event lawn area. Seating for up to 6,000 will be available for concerts, performing arts, trade shows, and sporting exhibitions along with a seasonal micro-transit system. It is expected to host up to 130 events a year with opportunities to expand visitation into shoulder seasons and mid-week periods. The anticipated economic impact to the entire community is estimated at $40-60 million per year. When completed the center will employ around 15 full-time staff members and between 200 to 300 part-time staff to run the events. 

To vote on the sculpture design, visit https://tahoesouth.com/surfaced-art/.

Let’s Build a Community Park

by

Kids need parks. They need safe, fun, and creative places to explore. And yet, according to the Trust for Public Land, nearly 28 million kids don’t have a park within a 10-minute walk of home.  

In the Ski Run neighborhood of South Lake Tahoe, these aren’t just statistics, they are the lived experience of more than 4,000 residents, 55 percent of whom are Hispanic/Latino. There are over a thousand kids in the neighborhood with zero park access within a half mile of their homes.

Recognizing the need for a gathering place in the neighborhood, Wynn and Lauren Ruji, Lincoln and Galena Else, Chris and Viktoria McNamara, and Corey and Marina Rich came together under the banner of the non-profit Friends of Ski Run to purchase a 0.57-acre empty lot, with the dream of transforming it into a community park.

The lot was once home to the Slalom Inn, which was demolished in 1999 despite sitting in the center of one of South Lake Tahoe’s most crowded neighborhoods. Since then, the lot has sat vacant and served as an unofficial playfield for the neighborhood.

From the start, Friends of Ski Run worked to bring a new approach to park design by giving the biggest voice to the smallest park-goers. Thirty-five kids from Bijou Elementary and the Boys and Girls Club drew sketches of how they envisioned the park, and elements from those drawings were incorporated into the park design. Landscape architect Ben Fish and Sierra Sustainable Builders are turning the kids’ vision into reality.

35 kids from Bijou Elementary and the Boys and Girls Club submitted sketches of the park design

Local partners like SOS Outreach, Barton Health, Heavenly, and League to Save Lake Tahoe are supporting the park by creating historical and environmental education signage, offering bilingual education workshops on exercise, health, and nutrition, and organizing neighborhood clean ups.

There’s still a chance for you to be part of this community effort. Give today to help us build Ski Run Community Park and pave the path for more community parks in Tahoe.

Happy New Year from the Tahoe Fund!

by

Photo: Abe Blair | Alpenglow Gallery 

As 2021 draws to a close, we want to send out a big thank you to all our supporters. Because of you, we are able to continue to improve the Lake Tahoe environment for all to enjoy.

Some highlights of what you made possible in 2021: 

  • We helped provide opportunities for underserved youth to experience the outdoors while preparing them for life’s challenges in the SOS Outreach mentorship program.
  • We exceeded our fundraising goal to send campers from Camp Wamp, a camp for children with disabilities, on field trips to the East Shore Trail.

Thank you for showing us the true power of philanthropy. With your help, we can accomplish even more in 2022. Cheers to a happy, healthy, and productive new year! 


PO Box 7124  |   Tahoe City, CA 96145  |   775.298.0035

Tax ID: 01-0974628
Lake Tahoe Destination Stewardship Council