Tahoe Fund’s Environmental Venture Trust provided seed funding for innovative environmental project benefitting Lake Tahoe and its famed clarity
TAHOE CITY, Calif. (Feb. 26, 2019) – According to a new report released by the Tahoe Resource Conservation District (Tahoe RCD), an ultraviolet (UV) light project designed to combat aquatic invasive weeds in Lake Tahoe has proven successful. Results of the pilot project, the first to be supported by the Tahoe Fund’s Environmental Venture Trust, found that most of the plants treated with UV light exhibited signs of deterioration or complete collapse within seven to 10 days following treatment.
Aquatic invasive species (AIS) pose a serious threat to the recreational and natural resources of the Lake Tahoe watershed as they compete with native species and can increase algae growth that contributes to the decline of Lake Tahoe’s famous water clarity. Thick aquatic vegetation also provides an unnatural habitat that allows other non-native species to establish.
“Our first investment through the Tahoe Fund Environmental Venture Trust was to provide seed funding for the UV light pilot project to test a new treatment of aquatic invasive weeds in Lake Tahoe,” said Amy Berry, CEO of the Tahoe Fund. “We are excited to see that the pilot was a success and there will now be a new way to treat aquatic invasive weeds in Tahoe.”
The initiative was led by the Tahoe RCD in collaboration with Inventive Resources, Inc., and was made possible thanks to a Lake Tahoe Science and Lake Improvement Account grant from the California Tahoe Conservancy and private contributions from the Tahoe Fund. Tahoe RCD is currently working on an environmental document analysis that expands available methods and techniques to implement lake-wide control methods for treatment of aquatic invasive plants at Lake Tahoe.
“Invasive plant populations can be reduced, and with continued treatments and a combination of tools available, we will be better equipped to manage populations around the lake in the future,” said Nicole Cartwright, executive director for Tahoe RCD. “We are encouraged by the results and look forward to additional UV-C light treatment projects to explore the full potential of this new tool.”
The Tahoe Fund Environmental Venture Trust funds innovative early-stage projects that benefit environmental initiatives affecting Lake Tahoe and was launched with the support of a $25,000 matching grant from the Robert and Dorothy Keyser Foundation. The intention of the trust is to support projects deemed to have good potential, but no other source of early-stage funding.
The Tahoe Fund was created to be a major source of private funding for environmental projects around the Lake Tahoe Basin with an emphasis on lake clarity, outdoor recreation, stewardship, forest health and transportation. Learn more at www.tahoefund.org.
About Tahoe Fund
The Tahoe Fund was founded in 2010 to work with the private community to support environmental improvement projects that restore lake clarity, enhance outdoor recreation, promote healthier forests, improve transportation and inspire greater stewardship of the region. Through the generous support of private donors, the Tahoe Fund has leveraged more than $2 million in private funds to secure more than $40 million in public funds for more than 30 environmental projects. The projects include new sections of the Lake Tahoe Bikeway, restoration of watersheds, removal of aquatic invasive species, forest health projects, public beach improvements, and stewardship programs. Learn more at www.tahoefund.org.
Media Contact:
Jess Weaver, JVP Communications for Tahoe Fund
(530) 448-6981 or jessica@jvpcommunications.com
