Clean Up The Lake has removed 70,000 pounds of trash from Sierra lakes, talks 2023 projects, successes

In the span of just three and a half years, CUTL has achieved a monumental milestone by removing more than 70,000 pounds of litter from lakes in the Sierra Nevada, including over 35,000 pounds directly from Lake Tahoe.

CUTL’s CEO Colin West recounts, “This milestone for our nonprofit underscores our team’s amazing ability to turn an idea into a reality. Our divers and volunteers are known for taking action, and over the last year, our team has taken Clean Up The Lake into the spotlight for becoming an environmental force in the Sierra region doing so much more than cleanup.”

In 2023, CUTL launched a conservation dive school and an environmental science center in Incline Village, established an education program reaching 1,270 K-12 students, facilitated the installation of three litter art sculptures in the Truckee-Tahoe region, helped send shockwaves through the global community with their work on Zephyr Shoals on the 5th of July, and continued one of the largest freshwater submerged litter cleanup and research projects in the world that has sparked similar initiatives with state governments across the nation.

Outlined below is a full look at their work in the Lake Tahoe area.

• Clean Up The Lake’s 2023 Accomplishments in the Tahoe Region

Lake Tahoe Hot-Spot Monitoring in Nevada: CUTL’s dive teams revisited twenty previously identified litter hotspots from their 72-mile cleanup of Lake Tahoe, where they conducted litter cleanup and aquatic invasive species (AIS) surveys in the 0-25 foot zone. They removed an additional 1,845 pounds of litter, and identified heavy lift items, and potential AIS. Data collected during this project will be analyzed to identify litter accumulation patterns. Partners included Boatworks Mall, Tahoe Fund, Tahoe Blue Vodka, Nevada Division of State Lands LTLP, Truckee Tahoe Community Foundation & American Century Championship.

Lake Tahoe Hot-Spot Monitoring in California: CUTL’s dive teams revisited ten previously identified litter hotspots from their 72-mile cleanup of Lake Tahoe with the same project objectives as the Nevada hot-spot monitoring. This project is targeted to be completed in mid-January 2024, the team has already removed an additional 1,000 pounds of litter and identified additional heavy lift litter items, and performed AIS surveillance. Partners include the Rose Foundation, Tahoe Fund, Tahoe Blue Vodka, Truckee Tahoe Community Foundation, Martis Camp Foundation, and American Centuries Championship.

Lake Tahoe Deep Dive Surveys: Throughout the monitoring work, the organization’s divers took on an additional initiative to complete deep dive surveys at depths of +/- 70 feet and +/- 35 feet to investigate the litter accumulation trends at deeper depths. The organization identified significant accumulation at 35-55 feet and is targeting this depth profile for future projects. Partners on this project for NV and CA were the same respective partners as their above monitoring efforts.

The Inaugural Lake Tahoe Litter Summit: Held in May of 2023 at the Thunderbird Lodge on Lake Tahoe. This annual event brought together 50 individuals from federal, state, and local government, tourism entities from across the region, various nonprofits, and concerned citizens, all of whom are committed to protecting Lake Tahoe from litter issues. The goal of the summit was to identify areas where litter control efforts could be improved and encourage collaboration and data sharing between agencies. This summit was a significant step towards a streamlined plan and action against litter issues in the Tahoe region.

Environmental Dive Center (EDC) in Incline Village, NV: With a grand opening in August, the EDC is a hybrid between a conservation dive school and an environmental science center. As a location for environmental courses, educational presentations, and film screenings, the EDC marks a significant leap forward in protecting Lake Tahoe from litter and AIS. The founding partners include Boatworks Mall, Lake Tahoe Community College, Martis Camp Foundation, Tahoe Beach Club, Hovatter Farms, Nila Ruslen & Pavel Pragin, and Victoria Rosauer.

Litter Education and Awareness Program (LEAP) This is a new education program by CUTL that engaged 1,270 students in Truckee and the Tahoe Basin in its inaugural year. LEAP delves into the consequences of litter on the environment, emphasizing its sub-surface presence in freshwater resources, and empowers students with actionable solutions to mitigate future pollution. Additionally, the program facilitated the removal of over 1,856 pounds of litter by youth in the Lake Tahoe region. Our premier partner in developing this youth program is the Pay It Forward Project.

July 5th Cleanup at Zephyr Shoals, NV: Each year following July 4th festivities, CUTL finds different ways to tackle cleanup efforts. This year, the cleanup on July 5th at Zephyr Shoals, NV resulted in 6,318 pounds of litter removed in one day. The organization teamed up with partners The League to Save Lake Tahoe and Stio for this cleanup.

Three Litter Art Sculptures in the Truckee-Tahoe Region: To further spread the message about preventing litter from entering lakes and the environment, CUTL set an objective early on to create art sculptures with the litter removed from beneath the surface of lakes in the region. The three sculptures were created by Building 180 artists Joel Dean Stockdill and Yustina Salnikova. One sculpture, “Surfaced” was installed at the new events center in South Lake Tahoe, partners included Tahoe Fund, Tahoe Blue Vodka, and LTVA. The two sculptures titled ‘Weightless’ installed at the West End Donner Lake Boat Launch, were supported by the Town of Truckee & Truckee Donner Recreation and Parks District.

These initiatives collectively represent CUTL's multifaceted approach to addressing litter pollution in the Lake Tahoe region, and beyond. From remediation efforts to preventive measures, CUTL remains at the forefront of environmental conservation, working tirelessly to ensure the continued health and vitality of Lake Tahoe.

To view the organizations additional 2023 projects visit our website www.cleanupthelake.org.