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Home , Lake Tahoe

Discover the Waters of Tahoe

Illustrated by Peter Grosshauser

Waters of the Lake Tahoe Region .. . 2 Reservoirs of History . . . 4 Water in Lake Tahoe .. . 6 Using Lake Tahoe’s Water .. . 8 Clarity . . .10 Aquatic . . . 12 Take Action for Lake Tahoe .. . 14

Activity Booklet 1 Water- shed Lake 1 Waters of the Lake Tahoe Region Tahoe

Located on the border between Nevada and , Lake Tahoe is known for its California clear, deep, blue water. Whether you live near Lake Tahoe or are among the nearly 3 million people who visit this special area every year, you will find much to explore.

Through the activities in this booklet, let’s use water science to Discover the Waters of Lake Tahoe.

Up from the Depths Visualize how deep Lake Tahoe really is! You will need: • A staircase (can be small, like steps to a porch)

iSTOCK.COM/MariuszBlach • Pencil • Measuring tape Water In, Water Out Lake Tahoe Stats • Calculator • Lake Tahoe’s maximum depth is 1,645 feet (501 m). Water enters Lake Tahoe from sixty-three tributaries (streams Directions: • Lake Tahoe is the second-deepest lake in the United States (’s Crater that contribute to a larger 1. Find a staircase at your house or school. How many times Lake is more than 1,900 feet [579 m] deep) and the eleventh-deepest lake in body of water). They flow into do you think you would need to climb these stairs to the world. the lake from the surrounding • Lake Tahoe is twenty-two miles (35 km) long and twelve miles (19 km) wide. mountains, which form the equal the deepest spot in Lake Tahoe (1,645 feet, 501 m)? Lake Tahoe Basin (a basin Write your estimate here. ______• The volume of the water in Lake Tahoe would cover the entire state of is the land area from which 2. Measure the height of one of the stairs in inches and California in 1.2 feet (37 cm) of water, or the state of Nevada in 1.7 feet water drains into a lake). The (52 cm) of water. Lake Tahoe Basin is part of the record. ______inches larger Truckee River watershed • If Lake Tahoe were emptied, it would take approximately 600 years for water 3. Climb the staircase, counting each step as you go. Record from rain and snow to refill it. (an area of land where all of the water that is under it or the number of stairs. ______stairs • The surface of Lake Tahoe is about 6,225 feet (1,897 m)—more than a mile— drains off of it goes into the 4. Multiply the height of one stair by the total number of above sea level. same place). stairs to calculate the height of the staircase in inches. • Lake Tahoe is recognized internationally for its outstanding clarity and ______inches x ______stairs = ______inches extraordinary beauty. What’s in a Name? 5. To calculate the height of the staircase in feet, divide Lake Tahoe got its name from a mispronunciation of the your answer from above by 12. ______feet Washoe Tribe’s word for “lake,” 6. Now, divide Lake Tahoe’s depth by the height of the Da ow (dah-oh). staircase in feet to calculate how many times you would have lived near Lake Tahoe for thousands of years. Every spring have to climb it to equal Lake Tahoe’s depth. the Washoe return to the lake 1,645 feet/ ______feet = ______staircase climbs to fish and celebrate its life- 7. Compare your answer to your estimate. Can you climb giving waters and the start of the growing season. the stairs that many times? Statue of Liberty Statue of Liberty 305.5 feet (93 m)

Lake Tahoe Lake 1,645 feet (501 m)

Eiffel Tower 1,063 feet (324 m)

Empire State Building 2 1,250 feet (381 m) 2 Option: Measure using the metric system (100 cm = 1 m). 3 Learning from the Past People now realize human activities can negatively affect water quality. Reservoirs of History Environmental restoration (returning it to good condition), conservation (careful management) and protection (keeping it safe from harm) are Lake Tahoe’s waters and land have Timeline important for Lake Tahoe’s future. supported people for thousands of Millions of years ago, faulting (shifting rocks) and volcanic eruptions created years. Review the timeline to learn how a deep valley that was then filled by and melting over people’s use of the land has affected the thousands of years. Change the Land, Change the Water Approximately 11,200 years ago lake’s water over time. Map Key First evidence of humans in the area. See how the ways we use the land can affect our water. Forest: green Approximately 7,000 BCE through 1840 You will need: Word List: The Washoe and the Paiute 1844 The first European Americans Lake: blue • Colored pencils or markers erosion, filter, Land Changes = Water Changes tribes live in harmony with the land and arrive at Lake Tahoe. forest fire, water for about 8,000 years and Directions: If uncontrolled, forest fires, logging and Wetland: yellow impervious, 1859–1900 Sixty percent of Tahoe's forests The three maps below tell a story of the Lake Tahoe Basin through grazing may disturb (alter the natural 1,000 years, respectively. logging, protect, are clear-cut to support the Comstock mines different times in history. Color each map according to the map key. condition) soils and cause erosion (the breaking Logging: brown restoration, 1913 Some Lake Tahoe landowners work to in nearby Virginia City, Nevada. Use the information on page 4 and the word list at right to fill in the down and washing away of land surfaces). establish Lake Tahoe as a national park, but wetlands Urban: gray blanks beneath each map below to see how land use has affected there are too many homes and businesses. Lake Tahoe's water over time.

erosion Forest Fire: red 1960s Urbanization of Lake Tahoe explodes, including development of the Tahoe Keys. Half of the Upper Truckee Marsh (Tahoe's largest wetland) is filled with soil. R en o Univer s i t y o f N evada- ,

Urbanization (the construction of buildings and roads) introduces impervious surfaces s pe c ial co lle ct i o n (materials that don’t allow precipitation 1968 Dr. Charles Goldman starts measuring Lake Tahoe Lake Tahoe Lake Tahoe clarity. Through 1971, annual Lake Tahoe to soak in). Runoff before 1840 approximately today R en o Univer s i t y o f N evada- , clarity averaged 97 feet. (precipitation flowing 1840-1970 off these surfaces) washes pollutants (excess 1969 The United States Congress approves or chemicals) s pe c ial co lle ct i o n an agreement between California and Nevada to work together to jointly manage to the lake. 1997 Lowest annual average clarity on record Lake Tahoe and create the Tahoe Regional at 64 feet. President Clinton visit sparks Planning Agency. Environmental Improvement Program to impervious surface restore and protect Lake Tahoe. 2007 The Angora Forest Fire burns almost five square miles (13 km2), including 254 homes. Wetlands (marshy areas) and riparian areas 2008 Asian clam, an aquatic invader, (land along the edge of a waterbody) filter is identified. A boat inspection pollutants from water. Removing or damaging program is established to prevent Map 1 Map 2 Map 3 the further introduction and spread these natural filters allows more pollutants to Early people Tree removal from ______of forests slows enter the lake. of aquatic invasive species. ______erosion of soil into Lake Tahoe. 2011 Landmark water clarity restoration plan ______no wetland known as the Lake Tahoe TMDL is adopted by wetland . com /ji m veille u x the trees and wetlands, leads to ______Urbanization creates more ______the States of California and Nevada keeping Lake Tahoe clean. surfaces where water can’t soak in. Dirty water and approved by the U.S. Environmental of soil, which flows into Lake Protection Agency. ph oto ©iS tock flows off these surfaces and into Lake Tahoe. ______Tahoe. 2013 Lake clarity continues decade-long Removal of wetlands, a natural ______, naturally filter the water flowing trend of stabilization, indicating means more soil enters Lake Tahoe. Removal of Present You can help continue the into Lake Tahoe. efforts to restore and protect trees from ______results in erosion of Lake Tahoe may be working. restoration, conservation and protection 44 of Lake Tahoe! soil, which flows into Lake Tahoe. 5 Water in Lake Tahoe WARMER Let’s take a look at how water makes its way COLDER COLDER into Lake Tahoe and examine some interesting 6 Lake Mixing features of the lake. Although Lake Tahoe is located at a high Rain and Snow elevation where winters MIXING are relatively cold and Water enters Lake Tahoe from precipitation (rain and long, the lake does not freeze snow). The lake covers nearly 40 percent of the basin, so over in the winter. During the much of that rain and snow falls directly on it. From the 2 3 4 5 summer, water near the Sun warms surface water. Cold temperatures cause surface water surrounding land, runoff (water from rain and melting Summer: Winter: 1 surface warms while to cool, sink and mix with the water below. snow) flows into streams and directly into the lake. deeper waters remain cooler. In fall and winter, surface water

Precipitation can also soak into the ground (infiltrate) Inches cools again. When surface water becomes colder than the happens during February or March, when surface water is

and become ground water. Most of the rain and snow Jul Jan Jun Oct Feb Apr Sep Dec Nov Mar Aug May deeper water, it sinks, causing the lake to mix. Mixing impacts coldest. Because water temperature (and related density) (78 percent) falls between November and March. Average Monthly Precipitation, 1910-2012 both water and life in the lake. It brings rich, nourishing water drives the mixing process, increasing temperatures from source: UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center to the surface and moves cold, oxygen-rich water deep into climate change may affect mixing in the future. If water stays the lake, which helps support life at depth. The deepest mixing too warm during the winter to sink, mixing cannot occur.

Average Daily Minimum Air Temperatures, 1910-2012 source: UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center . com / P gia m ©iS tock Mix It Up Create models of Lake Tahoe in the summer and winter to see how water temperature causes the lake to mix. Freezing 32 33 34 You will need: Directions: point Winter Model • Two identical clear glasses 31 Summer Model 4. Repeat steps 1 to 3, but this • Very warm and very cold 1. Completely fill one glass with very cold tap time place the glass with the tap water water; stir in a few drops of blue food coloring. colder water on top and the 29 30 • Red and blue food coloring Carefully fill the other glass with very warm tap glass with the very warm water • Spoon water; stir in a few drops of red food coloring. below. (Although the water at Changing Climate • Shallow pan the bottom of the lake is not this 27 28 Set both glasses in the pan. Today, more of Lake Tahoe’s water comes from rain instead • Index cards warm, you can see what happens 26 of snow than in the past. Average daily air temperatures Degrees Fahrenheit 2. Cover the top of the glass that has very warm to the cold water.) Observe what 911 1936 1961 1986 2012 around Lake Tahoe have increased by about 4 degrees 1 water with the index card. Carefully holding the happens to the colors and record. Fahrenheit over the past 100 years. Four degrees may not card in place with one hand to keep the water During the winter, if it gets cold seem like a lot, but it can mean the difference between in, flip the glass of very warm water over and set rain and snow. Temperatures now fall below freezing about Precipitation: Rain vs. Snow it upside down directly on top of the cold-water enough, the heavier, ______source: State of the Lake Report 2013 glass. This step is tricky; it may take several twenty-five days fewer per year than 100 years ago. water sinks, causing mixing. attempts. Warmer weather also causes snow to melt earlier in the year. More rain and earlier melting can mean more 3. The glass with warm water should now be flooding, which can increase erosion. More rain can also sitting upside down on top of the other. Make cause more runoff that transports pollutants and affects the sure that the edges of the glasses align. Then lake's water quality. slowly and carefully slide the index card out from between the glasses, spilling as little water as possible. Observe the colors and record. Having trouble? Science can take multiple tries! In the summer, the ______water floats on Visit www.projectwet.org/ videos/lake-tahoe-mixing to 1910: 49% rain, 51% snow Present: 64% rain, 36% snow top of the ______water. watch a demonstration 66 of this activity. 7 Portion of Lake Tahoe Using Lake Tahoe’s Water Take It off the Top that is reservoir. 6.1 feet (2 m) A dam that controls water flow out of the lake at Tahoe City Sixty-three streams flow into Lake Tahoe, but only Evaporation Lifeline allows a reservoir (water stored with the aid of a manmade structure) up to 6.1 feet (2 m) deep to form at the top of the lake. one flows out. Water leaves Lake Tahoe through the Water across Lake Tahoe’s vast surface is constantly evaporating People who live near and visit Lake Tahoe Now, 6.1 feet (2 m) isn’t very deep, but Lake Tahoe is so huge that and returning to the atmosphere. The average amount of water depend on its water to drink and for Truckee River and by the process of evaporation the reservoir holds more water than 385,000 Olympic-sized swimming that evaporates from Lake Tahoe’s surface each day would serve many other uses, but so do many others (transitioning from liquid to water vapor). pools! Even so, when the lake water drops (as a result of water use, the daily needs of 5 million people (assuming water use of 100 downstream. From Tahoe City, the Truckee dry weather and increasing temperatures), little or no water may flow gallons per day per person). River provides a 105-mile-long (169 km) lifeline through Truckee, Reno and Sparks out. When the water level drops below the natural rim (6,223 feet on its way to Pyramid Lake. above sea level), no water will flow out.

Water U-sers Did you drink water, flush the toilet or take a shower today? Roughly Fish and wildlife need clean water to survive. Because so much Lake Tahoe water users must cooperate and share the water. half the water supply for communities in the Lake Tahoe Basin comes water from the Truckee River is used along the way, there have As you read this list, check off the ways you use water where from the lake itself. Downstream, the Truckee River is a primary been times when little or no water reached Pyramid Lake. you live and give examples. Hint: You use water in more source of urban (or city) water for the town of Truckee Cooperative water management is critical to keep water available ways than one! and the cities of Reno and Sparks. for fish and wildlife.

o I am an urban water user. At home I use water for Pyramid Lake

______, ______, Stillwater National and ______. Nixon Wildlife Refuge Chances are, at least some of the electricity you use is produced Reno with water. Hydroelectric dams

(water-generated power plants) Sparks Water from the Truckee River is make power using flowing water diverted to Fallon for agriculture. Truckee from the Truckee River. Truckee River o I am a water energy user. Truckee Canal I use electricity to power Tahoe Incline Village In the process of manufacturing products that we all use, Fallon ______, City factories (or industries) use water for washing, cooling or as ______and an ingredient. Some businesses along the Truckee River make ______. materials used to purify foods and beverages and make building materials used for roads. Lahontan Reservoir

Crops such as cantaloupe and alfalfa are grown near Fallon, Nevada, using water diverted from the Truckee River. If you eat melon grown in Lake Tahoe this area, you are using water from Lake Tahoe. o Farmers, ranchers and food manufacturers use water to grow food. I Anyone who swims, boats or fishes, or who skis in the mountains indirectly use water when I eat that food. Cave nearby, uses water for recreation. Rock I like to eat ______, ______and o I am a recreational water user. My three favorite water activities are ______. Emerald Bay ______, ______and ______.

8 Stateline South 9 8 Lake Tahoe Clarity Why so Blue? Lake Tahoe is famous for its clear, blue water. Clarity The water in (how clear the water is) is affected by fine sediment Lake Tahoe Meters Annual Average Secchi Depth feet (particles of non-living matter smaller than the width appears blue because the of a human hair) and nutrients (compounds, such as 60 other colors of 20 nitrogen and phosphorus, that nourish living organisms the rainbow 70 in the water). in the light spectrum are Why So Clear? absorbed by the 25 80 Lake Tahoe is naturally clearer than most other water and blue because the natural soils within the watershed are is reflected, so Measuring Clarity 90 low in fine sediment and nutrients. Wetlands filter our eyes see very 30 Scientists measure deep-water clarity with a Secchi disk (a white or black and clean water that flows in. The vast lake surface blue water. 100 means much of the water that enters it comes straight and white plate attached to a measuring tape). They lower the disk into the from the sky. As a result, the water entering the lake water from the side of a boat. Then they note the depth at which they can no Robert Kingman 110 is relatively free of sediment and nutrients that would R e s earch C enter ahoe E nvironmental longer see the disk. Scientists have been taking Secchi disk measurements in 35 make the lake less clear. Lake Tahoe since the late 1960s (probably before your parents were born!).

P r o je ct W E T At that time clarity was about 100 feet (30 m). Use the chart to find the most 120 I Can See Clearly Now Secchi disk under water. recent Secchi disk readings and see how clarity has changed. Threats to Clarity See for yourself how fine sediment affects clarity.

s T s ource : UC Davi 130

Lake clarity can change in response to Fine Sediment You will need: natural processes like precipitation and from Urban 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 mixing. However, as observed in the • Small plastic baggie • Clear bottle with lid Areas timeline on pages 4 and 5, we see that • Plastic spoon • Water Source: State of the • Dirt or road dust • Pen or pencil Lake Report humans can also impact the lake’s clarity by altering the land. Directions: Did you know that urban areas cover 1. Carefully collect a few spoonfuls of dirt or road dust from Deep-Water Clarity only about 10 percent of the Lake Tahoe a gutter (edge) of any road or parking lot and place in a Basin, but they contribute more than 70 Fine sediment particles are less than one-quarter the diameter of a human small plastic baggie. What Can percent of the fine sediment that enters hair. They are too small to sink; they remain suspended in water with the the lake? In these urban areas, roads and 2. Fill the bottle with water only, attach the lid and observe slightest motion from waves or wind. Although tiny, they block light from You Do? the clarity. Record your observations. ______penetrating the water. To see how fine sediment from road dust affects Over time decreased clarity Urban areas occupy 10% parking lots are big culprits. Precipitation clarity, try the activity on page 10. can change aquatic habitat, of the area in the Lake falling on these surfaces cannot soak ______Tahoe Basin. into the ground. Instead it runs off discourage recreationists ______However... these surfaces, transporting dust and and make the lake look other pollutants into storm drains and 3. Now add a small amount of dirt or road dust, replace the cloudy and brown instead of eventually into the lake. lid and shake the bottle. Closely observe the clarity again. clear and deep blue. Many Changes humans make to the Record your observations. ______of the causes for more fine environment, such as altering or ______sediment and nutrients removing wetlands, prevent natural ______Near-Shore Quality entering the lake are filtering of fine sediment and nutrients In shallow waters near the shore, nutrients provide food for algae preventable. We can improve from the water. Fine sediment and Set the bottle in a quiet place and make repeated observa- ...urban areas (organisms that are neither plants nor animals, but have some character- clarity by taking action to nutrients impact the lake’s near-shore tions to see if or how long it takes for the fine sediment to produce about 70% istics of both), causing them to grow and reproduce. Different types of control the introduction of of the fine sediment. clarity (near the lake’s shoreline) and settle completely. Then, try gently moving the bottle up and algae float in the water (decreasing clarity) or attach to rocks or docks, these pollutants. Play the

deep-water clarity (deeper waters away R e s earch C enter ahoe E nvironmental down or side to side to simulate waves. How does this affect making surfaces slippery and uninviting to recreational water users. game on pages 14 and 15 from the shoreline). the clarity? ______to learn what you can do s T UC Davi

______to help. ______1010 11 Aquatic Invasive Species Did you know that there are invaders among us? These invaders are plants and animals that don’t belong in Lake Tahoe. Who are these unusual creatures? AIS NOT in Lake Tahoe zebra mussel Native, Non-native and Invasive Hitching a Ride Preventing AIS from Entering Lake Tahoe michigan sea grant Plants and animals that are natural to an ecosystem are native How do AIS get introduced to a new place? Invasive plants The AIS problem is carefully managed through prevention, species. Non-native species are plants and animals introduced and invasive invertebrates (animals without backbones, monitoring and control. Prevention (keeping AIS from (or brought in), accidentally or on purpose, to an ecosystem. such as mussels, clams, snails and shrimp)—which are often entering the lake) is by far the most critical part of Not all non-natives are considered negative. Invasive species extremely tiny—attach to boats, fishing gear or other objects managing AIS. Monitoring and control are time-consuming, are non-native plants and animals that cause economic, and can survive as they are transported over long distances. expensive and won’t completely remove the AIS. Whether New Zealand mudsnail environmental or human health problems in the ecosystem. For example, if a motorboat is used on a lake where AIS are you live here or are just visiting, you play an important role U.S. Geological Survey Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are invasive plants and animals found, AIS may attach to the bottom of the boat. People don’t in preventing invasive species from entering Lake Tahoe. If spiny water flea that live in water all or part of the time. realize the AIS are there and accidentally transport them to a we all take prevention seriously, we can work together to Christopher hagan, Donn Branstrator Native species tend to be more sensitive to changes in their new place (like Lake Tahoe). keep AIS that are not yet found in Lake Tahoe out, and keep ecosystem. They adapt to or recover from change more slowly Invasive fish are the result of people dumping pet fish from more of those that are already here from spreading around than invasive species. Invasive species generally grow more their aquariums, illegally introducing fish they think would be the lake and to other bodies of water. What can you do? quagga mussel quickly and reproduce more rapidly than native species nice to catch or dumping bait buckets into the lake. This is not Play the game on pages 14 and 15 to see how your actions michigan sea grant in the same environment, making them aggressive good for Lake Tahoe. can help keep AIS out of Lake Tahoe.

competitors for food and habitat.

The Usual Suspects You will need: AIS IN Lake Tahoe Learn how to identify some existing Lake Tahoe aquatic invasive species and the damage they • Ruler do as well as potential AIS threats in Lake Tahoe. Match each description to its offender. • Magnifying glass 1 I am a tiny, transparent, shrimplike invertebrate less than an inch (2.5 cm) long. I am a plant with smooth six- to nine-foot (2–3 m) stems { We prefer to live in shallow water like goldfish, not to scale 7 the Tahoe Keys and are also found I migrate (move) up and down daily in the open water, compete for food with other and feathery leaves that float at the water’s surface. University of Nevada aquatic ecosystems

in the Truckee River. We sometimes analysis Laboratory (tiny aquatic animals) and have changed who eats whom in Lake Tahoe. mysis shrimp get tangled around boat motors. I am a(n)______. noaa, I am a(n)______. We provide homes for invasive fish, environmental

8 I am a plant with up to thirteen-foot-long (4 m) stems. I have reddish- use up valuable oxygen, and add research Laboratory 2 I have a dark-brown spiraled shell. I’m tiny—usually no longer than 1/5 inch (0.5 cm)! green, wavy, one- to four-inch-long (2.5–10 cm) leaves that float at nutrients to the lake when we die, I live in loose material and vegetation from 13 to 130 feet (4–40 m) deep. the water’s surface. causing algal growth. We spread

extremely easily. We are managed by I am a(n)______. I am a(n)______. mowing but quickly grow back. Eurasian water-milfoil, I am shrimplike and tiny. I only grow to 0.4 inches (1 cm) long. I live in open water and , not to scale 3 ©iStockphoto.com/deepcameo not to scale compete with small fish for food—but they can’t eat me because of my long tail spine. { I have an oblong white shell with black edges and can grow to 1.5 Alison Fox, University of Florida, Bugwood.org 9 We live in inches (3.8 cm) long. I am a(n)______. colonies { I am a(n)______. attached to I am a fish with a mouth that extends past my eyes. I can grow 4 We compete with solid materials Monitoring & up to three feet (0.9 m) long and live in clear, warm, shallow native fish for I have an oblong black-and-white striped shell and can grow to 1.5 from 10 to 200 , not to scale water with vegetation. 10 Controlling food and even eat inches (3.8 cm) long. feet (3–61 m) ©istockphoto.com/2lbgil them! We excrete deep. AIS in Lake Tahoe I am a(n)______. I am a(n)______. nutrient-rich Researchers monitor AIS already 5 I am a fish with a red belly and black spot behind my front fin. waste, causing found in Lake Tahoe to determine where I grow to sixteen inches (41 cm) long. I’m adaptable but prefer algal growth. they are and if populations are growing or clear water with vegetation. (Researchers stun 11 I have a yellowish brown shell, am about an inch (2.5 cm) across, spreading to new areas. The most effective fish, which causes can produce up to 350 young per day and form colonies of thousands way to control AIS is to find them early I am a(n)______. them to float. in near-shore shallows. I clog pipes, compete with natives for food and respond rapidly before they can They collect them, and excrete nutrients causing algal growth. (Researchers are trying Asian clam spread and grow. If you spot AIS, 6 I am a familiar fish with large scales. In fishbowls I’m small, analyze them and to smother their colonies using rubber mats.) dr. marion wittmann, University of Nevada but in Lake Tahoe I grow to sixteen inches (41 cm) long. I live donate them to the contact the Tahoe Aquatic in warm water with plants. I am a(n)______. Nuisance Species Hotline Food Bank.) curly-leaf pondweed, not to scale 12 (1-888-TAHO-ANS). 12 I am a(n)______. Chris Evans, Illinois Wildlife Action Plan, Bugwood.org 13 event. trail, too. trail, into the lake.

Take Action for Lake Tahoe it away. ou participate in a beach clean-up Y can wash sediment can wash ou always stay on the ou always soil and washing soil and washing trail when hiking and trail keep your pets on the keep Taking shortcuts can Taking cause erosion, which cause erosion, Build rock-filled roof, driveway and driveway roof, Y water to soak in. water Water flows off your Water trenches under the sidewalks, eroding the sidewalks, along your driveway along your driveway edges of the roof and Because we all affect the environment around us and downstream, everyone who spends allowing and sidewalks, time at Lake Tahoe must take responsibility for their actions. This game introduces best management practices (BMPs)—positive choices you can make and actions you can lake. take to improve Lake Tahoe’s clarity and reduce the impacts of aquatic invasive species. nutrients out of the to keep sediment and to keep Wetlands act as filters Wetlands

Race to the Surface hold it. wetlands. wetlands. and you couldn’t ou were swimming ou helped keep pet ou helped keep ou participate in areas from erosion! restroom facilities! Y Learn how our actions affect the waters of Lake Tahoe and what we can Y and protected fragile and protected fragile Y of the water and use of the water waste out of the water out of the water waste an event to restore do to keep Lake Tahoe healthy, clear and blue. the time to get out Take You will need: • One game piece per player (use small items like coins or buttons) • Paper clip (for spinner) it rains or snows. it rains ake Tahoe. Tahoe. up in L ake ou want to get an ou want early start on the ny trash that isn’t A ny trash water but you plan water Y Bare, steep slopes in Bare, ahead to make time ahead to make your yard erode when your yard can may be carried by for a mandatory boat water or wind and end water inspection on the way.

• Pencil or pen disposed of in a garbage Directions: 1. Choose game pieces from the items listed above. AH O- AN S!

2. Make a spinner using a paper clip and a pencil as shown at left. motorboat. our family speeds into shore in your cause erosion. Y R eport sightings of 1-888-T S to Tahoe A quatic AI S to Tahoe Obey the five-mile- per-hour speed limit per-hour ake Tahoe’s shore. shore. Tahoe’s of L ake Waves from boats can Waves N uisance Species H otline 3. Place all game pieces at the start of the gameboard at right (start to the left of within 600 feet (183m) the first square). Everyone spins the spinner; highest number goes first. AI S! 4. On your turn, spin the spinner and move your game piece the number of squares AI S out of

shown. Move back and forth across the board, following the arrows. Tahoe. L ake required. This This helps required. keep keep Boat inspections are rocks to help stop the spread of can take to prevent can take the best actions you erosion. Stabilize steep erosion. rain and D ry D rain Clean, rocks and native plants. slopes in your yard with slopes in your yard every time. I t is one of every time. 5. If you land at the bottom of an “up” arrow, slide your game Use plants and piece up, swimming toward the square at the top. If you land at the top of a “down” arrow, slide your game piece down, diving deeper to the square at the less pollution. ewer vehicles = pet-free areas. F think might be A fter a day on the ou see what you water your family is water don’t tell anyone. Y tired, so you just load tired, swimming, but you swimming,

bottom. Read both squares aloud; they explain ou pick up after your the trail and respect the trail up the boat and head home. pet, keep your pet on keep pet, Y quagga mussels while positive or negative related actions, impacts and BMPs. If you land on any square other

than the top or bottom of an arrow, with it. nutrients) from down the street. on't overwater. D on't overwater. ou see water from ou see water

simply stop; your turn is over. NOTE: with mulch keeps soil (sediment and Y Covering bare spots xtra water flows off water E xtra and carries pollutants eroding into the lake. Two or more game pieces may occupy your sprinklers flowing

the same space together.

6. The first player to reach the

surface (the “finish” square) by the water. (ground covering ou have leftover spots in your yard. you dump it into Y our family uses mulch ispose of extra bait D ispose of extra properly in the garbage. can Bait buckets introduce AI S. bait after fishing so

exact count or by swimming up an Y material) to protect bare

“up” arrow wins the game.

it rains. it rains. each side.

into the lake when into the lake driveway can wash can wash driveway Sediment from a dirt

our family paves your

a rock-filled trench on dirt driveway and puts dirt driveway

14 Y When possible, you When possible, or hike. bike walk, good for you I t’s and the environment! inish START 14 F 15 Children ages eight Answer Key to twelve explore the waters of Lake Tahoe Up from the Depths, p. 3: Mix It Up, p. 7: The Usual Suspects, p. 12-13: in this student- and Answers vary depending on stair 1. In the summer, the warmer 1. mysis shrimp teacher-tested activity height and number of stairs. water floats on top of the 2. New Zealand mudsnail booklet created by the Change the Land, colder water. 3. spiny water flea Project WET Foundation, Change the Water, p. 5: 2. During the winter, if it gets cold 4. largemouth bass a world leader in water 5. bluegill Map 1: protect, wetlands enough, the heavier, colder water education. Through sinks, causing mixing. 6. goldfish Map 2: logging, erosion 7. Eurasian water-milfoil hands-on activities, Water U-sers, p. 8-9: Map 3: restoration, impervious, 8 curly-leaf pondweed children learn about Answers will vary. filter, forest fire 9. quagga mussel the fascinating water I Can See Clearly Now, p. 10: 10. zebra mussel science of this unique Fine sediment from road dust may 11. Asian clam and important lake. This booklet is aligned to Common Core Standards for Math take many hours or never completely and English Language Arts and Next settle out. Gentle motion will disturb Generation Science Standards. the particles and cause them to Visit www.projectwet.org/lake-tahoe-booklet for a list of standards. cloud the water again.

Discover the Waters of Lake Tahoe is brought to you by: Project WET Foundation Vision: Every child understands and values water through action-oriented education, ensuring a sustainable future. www.projectwet.org In partnership with: Nevada Division of Environmental Protection

Water Education for Teachers The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) provides resources and funding for numerous educational and outreach programs and efforts throughout Nevada. NDEP sponsors and endorses Project WET programs and curriculum through the Bureau of Water Quality Planning. Co n ta ct u s : Project WET Foundation Published by the Project WET Foundation Illustrated by Peter Grosshauser 1001 West Oak Street, Suite 210 Dennis L. Nelson, President and CEO Designed by Ann W. Douden Bozeman, MT 59715 USA ©2015 by the Project WET Foundation. 1-406-585-2236 Field Testers: 1-866-337-5486 (toll free in the US) All rights reserved. The contents of this Mr. Comlossy's fifth-grade class, Lake Tahoe 1-406-522-0394 (fax) booklet may not be reproduced in whole Environmental Science Magnet School, South Lake Tahoe, CA [email protected] or in part by any means without the Mrs. Dickinson's third-graders, www.projectwet.org permission of the publisher. Bijou Community School, South Lake Tahoe, CA Ms. Donley's third-grade class, Reviewers: Smithridge STEM Academy, Reno, NV Brenna Blessing, League to Save Lake Tahoe; Jason Brand, Nevada Tahoe Project Team: C. Pastore's fifth graders, Conservation District; Sudeep Chandra, University of Nevada-Reno; Dennis Nelson, Molly Ward and Jessica Bijou Community School, South Lake Tahoe, CA Steve Chilton, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Bob Comlossy, Lake Tahoe Solberg, Project WET Foundation; Jason Emma Samuels' fourth- and fifth-grade Tahoe Crew, Environmental Magnet School; Jennifer Johnson, Washoe Tribe of Nevada Kuchnicki and Mary Kay Wagner, Nevada Tahoe Expedition Academy, Kings Beach, CA Division of Environmental Protection; Mr. Scurlock's fifth-graders from room D-1, and California; Jacques Landy, EPA; Lou Loftin, Northern Nevada Regional Marie Barry, Washoe Tribe, Washoe Smithridge STEM Academy, Reno, NV Professional Development; Sue Norman, U.S. Forest Service; Nicole Environmental Protection Department; Jen Seely's fourth graders, LTESMS, South Lake Tahoe, CA Rosenleaf-Ritter, Project WET Foundation; Rebecca Sawyer, Tahoe Water Brian Brown, Water Education Suppliers Association; Geoff Schladow, UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Foundation; Sue Jacox, PDF ebook edition, April 2015. Research Center; Beth Quandt, Lake Unified School District; Doug Smith, Outdoor School; Heather Segale, UC Davis ISBN, print edition: 978-0-9857384-4-0 Lahontan Water Board; Penny Stewart, California Tahoe Conservancy; Tahoe Environmental Research Center. ISBN, PDF ebook edition: 978-1-942416-55-5 Karen Vargas, Nevada Department of Wildlife.