monitoring

Lake Tahoe’s public agencies have teamed with scientists, marinas and lakefront homeowners on a new strategy to protect the highly impacted nearshore ecosystems and to combat invasive species that threaten the lake’s famed clarity and $5 billion economy.

The U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Nevada, Reno, will study the cause of eutrophication, or increased algae growth, along the nearshore of Lake Tahoe, researchers announced Wednesday.

Supported by California’s Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board, the investigation is in response to widespread concerns with water quality and ecological degradation of the lake’s close to shore environment.

The earthquake activity that began in July 2014 in the Sheldon Wildlife Refuge in far northwest Nevada is continuing to shake residents. University of Nevada, Reno seismologists are monitoring the on-going activity that includes three earthquakes larger than magnitude 4.0 since mid-July, including the largest of these, a magnitude 4.6 on July 16.

Four remote mountain peaks in central and northeastern Nevada are home to a new real-time camera fire-detection system that is helping to protect Nevada’s forests and rangelands.

A Bureau of Land Management Nevada grant awarded to the University of Nevada, Reno to develop, install, and maintain a remote camera system, is in the initial phase of a five-year planned comprehensive network to cover vast areas of the state for early fire detection and response.

The Fourth of July is one of America’s favorite holidays. And why not? Families and friends gather to celebrate our country with food, parades, parties, picnics and fireworks.

A fire-spotting camera network operated by the University of Nevada, Reno is tracking the Washington Fire south of Lake Tahoe with two of its mountaintop cameras. The first wisps of smoke from the fire were seen on the cameras at 3:50 p.m. on Friday, June 19, one hour before the smoke was reported to fire officials.

The 4th of July is quickly approaching, Sheriff Ron Pierini and members of the Douglas County Sheriff's Office wish to take a moment to remind and educate our residents and guests that the possession and or discharge of fireworks in Douglas County is unlawful and will not be tolerated.

Persons found in violation of the fireworks ordinance face criminal penalties, including a fine of up to $1,000 and/or confinement in the county jail for a period of up to six months.

A Dense Smoke Advisory until 5 a.m. Monday morning has been issued by the National Weather Service due to smoke from the Washington Fire burning south of Markleeville in Alpine County, Calif. As of 4:30 Sunday afternoon the fire had burned 6,500 acres.

A wetter than average spring hasn't dented four years of drought, with fire agencies ramping up in preparation of summer fire season in the Sierra, Pine Nut Mountains and on public land throughout Nevada.

The Bureau of Land Management Carson City District, U.S. Forest Service and the Nevada Division of Forestry warn of the dangers looming this season, with temperatures climbing and tinder dry conditions on the ground and in the forests.

A Carson City man was arrested Thursday in a pharmacy parking lot on suspicion of felony DUI, that, if convicted would be his fourth, a Carson City sheriff’s sergeant said.

Marco Mendez, also faces six misdemeanor charges, including improper display of license plates, driving an unregistered vehicle, no insurance, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving without a valid license and violation of a suspended sentence. His bail has been set at $23,210.

The latest disaster movie, San Andreas, has drawn considerable attention, especially when coupled with the real-life earthquake disaster that struck Nepal April 25 and the magnitude 4.8 gentle-reminder earthquake 100 miles north of Las Vegas that rattled homes and highways throughout the valley on May 22.

What are homeowners in the Tahoe Keys doing to fight aquatic invasive species? How successful was the pilot research project to reduce the Asian clam population in Emerald Bay, and what does it mean for future control projects? What does the latest research say about whether quagga mussels could survive in Lake Tahoe?

The Nature Conservancy, working with federal, state and local agencies, as well as a private landowner, are collaborating on a forest restoration project designed to reduce the risk of catastrophic fires, protect onsite and neighboring structures, protect water supplies for people and enhance wildlife habitat near Carson City.

Clarity levels at Lake Tahoe in 2014 showed the biggest improvements in more than a decade, according to researchers Tuesday at the University of California, Davis, who have studied the lake for the last half century.

The improvements are in part due to continuous work from the Lake Tahoe community to lower pollutants to the lake. They were also influenced by the drought, as reduced precipitation meant fewer contaminants flowed into Lake Tahoe, particularly during the summer, when clarity levels were the highest recorded since 2002.

The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2015 the International Year of Soils to raise the awareness of the importance of soils for food security, clean water and other essential ecosystem functions. Soils are a hidden resource that we too often take for granted.

It takes between 100 years to 1,000 years to form one centimeter of healthy soil and only one to 10 years to destroy it. This valuable, but often unrecognized, resource is threatened by erosion, natural disasters, salinization, compaction, acidification and nutrient decline.

Following a February court decision to grant a motion for a preliminary injunction to stop the proposed roundup of more than 300 wild horses in the Nevada Pine Nut Herd Management Area, the Bureau of Land Management Sierra Front Field Office announced this week that it has canceled the roundup with a date to be determined.

Horse advocates said the decision to cancel the roundup is a victory.

Even with an aging population, Carson City is showing improvements in a number of public health areas including preventable hospital stays, diabetic monitoring and mammography screening, according to a nationwide health survey released Wednesday through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.

Survey results are compiled county-by-county in an easy-to-use snapshot.

A newly released scientific study highlights the importance of collaborative work to prevent the introduction of aquatic invasive species at Lake Tahoe, and confirms what many public and private stakeholders have feared: That the invasive quagga mussel, if introduced, could establish in our mountain lake’s clear, iconic waters.

A Tahoe Talks Brown Bag Lunch Series recently launched offers a monthly forum for people to discuss and learn more about ways to strengthen communities, make towns safer for bicyclists and pedestrians, and help protect Lake Tahoe’s amazing natural resources.

Lunches are held monthly at ≈. They cover topics ranging from transportation to the economy and the environment, and offer a comfortable, low-key setting for people to discuss and learn about those issues. The events are free to the public.

Nevada officials have ramped up monitoring at Red Rock Academy, a state juvenile correctional facility in Clark County troubled by compliance issues they declined to detail....

Carson City, Douglas County and Washoe County Sheriff’s Office’s, along with the Washoe County All Threats/All Crimes Task Force, combined efforts to break the backbone of a residential burglary ring that is believed to have been operating regionally since the summer/fall of 2014.

The Nevada Department of Transportation said Sunday night that it has temporarily closed a portion of State Route 342 south of Gold Hill as a safety precaution following recent roadway cracking and sinking.

State Route 342 runs approximately from the Silver City area through Gold Hill to southern Virginia City, connecting U.S. 50 west of Dayton to Virginia City. An approximately two-mile portion of the road between Devils Gate and Gold Hill is closed to traffic (between mile markers 2 and 4).

UPDATE 5PM: From Douglas County Sheriff's Sgt. Pat Brooks: According to NV Energy’s website, they will be working to restore power to the area as quickly as possible. Estimation of when an effected area will be restored is unknown at this time. Updates can be reviewed at NvEnergy.com.

Commissioner Scott J. Kipper is warning Nevada residents that Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield has been a victim of a cyberattack and that personal information of current and past Anthem policy holders has been compromised.

Presented by the Sierra Nevada Alliance, South Tahoe Earth Day Committee and Patagonia South Lake Tahoe, the 10th Annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival South Lake Tahoe combines award-winning environmental and adventure films with the energy of local activism. Featured films will include exciting outdoor adventures, environmental battles and inspirational stories of people making a difference. The Film Festival will take place on Thursday, March 26, 2015 at the MontBleu Showroom.

As the incoming Chair of the 15-member Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board, this promises to be a hopeful and exciting year. 2015 will be full of opportunities, but also challenges, for the continued protection of Lake Tahoe.

The number one priority among our challenges is funding shortfalls. Federal and state funding that has paid for environmental restoration and protection efforts at Lake Tahoe for years is drying up and new approaches need to be pursued.

Hope everyone had a Holiday Season filled with joy and cheerful moments that create lasting memories. My wish to all: HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The Nevada Appeal on December 28th had the following article, “Balancing Development, Services” written by John Barrette. The context covered what each Board member thought were the highlights in 2014, as well as their priorities for 2015. Informative and covering a broad spectrum of topics, three Board members classified the 1/8 of a cent sales tax as their number one highlight of 2014.

Join Shelly Aldean and Karl Neathammer with their guest Dr. James Wilson as they discuss the myths and realities of contagions and the “art” of forecasting infectious diseases.

Wilson, M.D., created an algorithm-based mechanism that forecasts the spread of infectious diseases worldwide and is used by the Centers for Disease Control, Department of Defense and other national agencies with interest in monitoring these developments.

The Clarence E. Heller Charitable Foundation has granted the League to Save Lake Tahoe $35,000 to support its land-use planning program, which ensures strong environmental regulation surrounding development at Lake Tahoe. The foundation has also bolstered its named endowment at the League with a $200,000 donation.

The success of the pilot program for fire cameras at Lake Tahoe has prompted the University of Nevada, Reno’s Nevada Seismological Laboratory to pursue funding to build out its fire camera network that rings the majestic mile-high lake.

“We’ve seen the system avert potentially large fires this summer at Tahoe, even with its minimal presence,” Graham Kent, director of the Nevada Seismological Laboratory, said of the prototype system with its four cameras. “It makes sense to build this system out now to help protect the basin from devastating fires.”