Visit our Web sites: www.unce.unr.edu; http://ncmr.ucdavis.edu; and www.lteec.org

PROGRAMSto preserve environmental

quality at LAKE TAHOE

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Lake Tahoe is losing water clarityLake Tahoe’s exceptional clarity is a result of the absence of suspended sediment and

free-floating, single-celled algae in the water. Given undisturbed conditions, the lake’s waterquality would change so slowly the changes would be undetectable over a human lifetime.Human settlements and logging activities that began in the late 1880s have contributed to therapidly declining clarity. Lake Tahoe’s clarity has decreased by more than 33 percent sincethe 1960s and is steadily declining at the rate of 1 foot a year. Scientists say the rate of waterquality deterioration at Lake Tahoe has been steady for so long it may become irreversible in10 years.

Change is urgently needed.

BMPs improve lake qualityPreserving the clarity of Lake Tahoe requires effort from all the basin’s residents. Uni-

versity of Nevada Cooperative Extension collaborates with the Tahoe Regional PlanningAgency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Nevada Tahoe Conservation District andTahoe Resource Conservation District to teach residents how to adopt best managementpractices (BMPs) on their properties.

Cooperative Extension co-sponsors a variety of workshops and makes site visits tohomes on issues such as revegetation, retaining walls and rock-lined irrigation trenches tostop pollution and excess sediment from entering the lake.

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Lake Tahoe EnvironmentalEducation Coalition formed

LTEEC Working GroupsHome Landscaping

Assisthomeowners incontrolling erosionand runoff fromlandscapes

Volunteer CenterEngage citizens involunteer conser-vation and environ-mental educationefforts

Citizens RestorationØ Educate and

involve citizens inenvironmentalrestoration projects

K-12 WatershedEducationØ Help teachers and

schools integrateenvironmentaleducation into theclassroom

The Lake Tahoe Environmental Education Coalition (LTEEC) was formed in January2000 by Cooperative Extension as a multi-faceted, collaborative environmental educationprogram for the Lake Tahoe Basin. More than 20 agencies with interests in preserving LakeTahoe’s clarity belong to the LTEEC. The coalition is an umbrella organization to coordinateand improve the effectiveness of environmental education at the lake.

Purpose: Provide support to improve the effectiveness of environmental education

Higher EducationØ Promote lake clarity

through developmentof an environmentalscience institute

Business and TourismØ Educate visitors and

engage businessesin solutions to LakeTahoe’s uniqueenvironmental issues

Citizen MonitoringØ Engage citizens in

watershed steward-ship and monitoringof environmentalindicators

Fuels Managementand Forest HealthØ Work with fire pre-

vention agencies toinsure a consistentfirescape messageis disseminated inthe community

For more information,contact:Heather Segale,segaleh@unce.unr.eduor John Cobourn,cobournj@unce.unr.eduat University of Ne-vada Cooperative Ex-tension, (775) 832-4150.

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The LTEEC is helping develop anEnvironmental Education Institute forteachers, which will offer credit coursesthrough the University of Nevada, Reno.

The LTEEC invites other groups,teachers and individuals to join theLTEEC and improve environmentaleducation at Lake Tahoe.

in the basin. Goal: Help groups and agencies work together to educate the public on how toprevent pollution at the lake. Objective: Cooperate and collaborate.

The LTEEC is comprised of eight working groups, each led by one or two specialists.Each group focuses on one area of environmental education. The LTEEC Coordinator,funded jointly by University of Nevada Cooperative Extension and University of CaliforniaCooperative Extension, unites the groups’ efforts. The Coordinator publishes an environ-

mental education calendar, Web site and monthly newsletters, and helps each group achieve its goals while facilitating cooperation and collaboration among them.

Landscaping guide helpshomeowners preserve the lake

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In an effort to get all Lake Tahoe homeowners implementing best management prac-tices (BMPs) on their property, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension educators teamed

up with community partners to publishthe first comprehensive landscapingmanual for area residents.

The Home LandscapingGuide for Lake Tahoe and Vicinity isthe result of two years of collaborationbetween Cooperative Extension, theTahoe Regional Planning Agency, theNevada Tahoe Conservation Districtand others. The book helps home-owners design landscapes, controlerosion, maintain native vegetation andwildlife habitat, improve soil and irrigateefficiently. It contains suggested plantlists, pest-management tips and defen-sible space practices to protect homesfrom wildfire. The book is a major com-ponent of Cooperative Extension’sTahoe Landscaping and BackyardConservation Program, which includesworkshops for professionals, block

meetings with information on good landscape management techniques and Master Gardenervolunteer activities.

“We hope this guide helps homeowners achieve their individual landscape goals, whileencouraging them to implement appropriate landscape practices that preserve the lake’sunique environment,” said John Cobourn, water resource specialist and principal author.

Landscaping guide chapters1. Develop Great Landscapes and Improve Water Quality2. Design According to Your Property’s Natural Potential3. Design for Function and Ease of Maintenance4. Control Erosion and Protect Stream Environment Zones5. Defensible Space: Landscape to Reduce the Wildfire Threat6. Maintain Natural Areas through Backyard Forestry7. Use Plants for an Integrated Landscape8. Use Proven Planting Techniques to Ensure Success9. Conserve and Improve Your Soils10.Control Pests Without Harming the Environment11.Other Ways You Can Prevent Lake Pollution12.Seasonal Maintenance for Lake Tahoe Landscapes

For a copy of theHome Landscap-ing Guide forLake Tahoe andVicinity, call Uni-versity of NevadaCooperative Ex-tension at (775)832-4150.

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Volunteers make a differencePreserving Lake Tahoe’s natural beauty is no easy task, but for several volunteer

groups, the hard work is worth the reward of having a clean and clear lake.University of Nevada Cooperative Extension educators teach residents how to become

Master Gardeners in a 40-hour class. The volunteers learned how to perform BMPs andimprove water quality. They complete 40volunteer hours answering gardeningquestions, educating through the mediaand creating landscaping projects.

Some of the Master Gardenerswere chosen to become NeighborhoodLeaders and help conduct propertyevaluations around the lake. They rec-ommend BMPs and other landscapingtechniques to area residents. They alsoplan neighborhood block meetingswhere BMP experts help homeownersdesign landscaping improvements.

Neighborhood Leaders recognizeerosion and drainage problems andsuggest attractive and cost-effectivesolutions.

Other volunteers contribute hoursstenciling storm drains, letting the publicknow that pollutants dumped into drainsgo straight to the lake. Stenciled warn-ings have been posted on hundreds ofdrains in the basin.

Workshops educate the publicCooperative Extension hosts a

variety of workshops to educate the publicon Lake Tahoe’s critical environmentalneeds. Residents, contractors, teachers,students and volunteers benefit from thepresentations.Best Management Practices for theLake Tahoe Basin 2001

This series of four classes teacheshomeowners and contractors how to imple-ment BMPs on Tahoe properties.Tahoe Basin Snapshot Day

Volunteers help collect watersamples and take photographs demonstrat-ing the lake’s diminishing clarity.

Watershed DayK-12 students gain insight into the

lake’s fragile environment at the WatershedDay Fair. Students complete arts and craftsprojects, stencil drain warnings and partici-pate in interactive learning displays.University Course

The LTEEC helps create and promotea one-credit course offered at the Universityof Nevada, Reno on the Lake Tahoe environ-ment .

For more information on any of theseworkshops, contact: Heather Segale atUniversity of Nevada Cooperative Exten-sion, (775) 832-4150, segaleh@unce.unr.edu

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Tall Whitetop weeds sprayed orpulled at Lake Tahoe

Ellen Swensen wanted more plant sci-ence education and to give back to her newcommunity. She became a Master Gardener,then a Weed Warrior, clocking hundreds ofhours in the war against tall whitetop.

“I feel good about the large percentage ofweeds that are no longer able to reproduce,particularly those at Trout Creek, key tributary toLake Tahoe,” said Swensen.

University of Nevada CooperativeExtension’s Weed Warrior program is in itsfourth year, with 119 trained volunteers, andgrowing. The spring 2001 workshops were sofull that the number of Weed Warriors will doubleafter they are completed.

Weed Warriors attack tallwhitetop

A whopping 100 percent of the known tall whitetop infestations in the basin have beensprayed or pulled with the help of volunteers and collaborating agencies, reports Sue

Donaldson, University of Nevada CooperativeExtension water specialist.

Furthermore, when sprayed again in InclineVillage, they witnessed an 80 percent decrease inplant regrowth; a 75 percent decrease occurred inEl Dorado County. “We have a unique opportunity tonip this invasion in the bud,” said Donaldson.

To get an early handle on the tough weed, the1999 Nevada State Legislature asked CooperativeExtension to lead a two-year initiative to enhancepublic awareness and education and control theweed.

“We made a substantial start in raising publicawareness of this threat and motivating people toget involved in identification and eradication activi-ties,” said Karen Hinton, University of NevadaCooperative Extension dean and director.

For more information, log on to:www.unce.unr.edu/tallwhitetop/

For more information contact: Sue Donaldson,University of Nevada Cooperative Extension,(775) 784-4848, donaldsons@unce.unr.edu

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In 1997, the Living With Fire (LWF) program was created to bring together variousagencies and stakeholders to teach people how to live more safely in the high wildfire hazardenvironments of the eastern Sierra, including the Lake Tahoe Basin.

LWF focuses onpre-fire activities thathomeowners can en-gage in to greatly im-prove the chances theirhomes will survive awildfire. The initialproject was sponsoredby Cooperative Exten-sion, the Nevada Agri-cultural ExperimentStation and Sierra FrontWildfire Cooperators (12Nevada and Californiafirefighting agencies). This collaboration

takes a three-prongedapproach:ØResearch. With thesame high-tech toolsNASA uses – satelliteimagery and geographicinformation systems –university specialistsdeveloped 72 wildfirehazard rating mapscovering 3,200 squaremiles and delivered themto firefighters.ØRecommendations.Specialists coordinateconsistent recommenda-tions for defensiblespace distance andvegetation management.ØEducation. Educa-

tors train professional landscapers and neighborhood groups in defensiblespace and firescape techniques, utilizing the popular Living With Fire tabloid.

For more information, contact: Ed Smith at University of NevadaCooperative Extension, (775) 782-9960, smithe@unce.unr.edu

Helping residents “live with fire”

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4-H Camp lets groups live andlearn at Lake TahoeUniversity of Nevada Cooperative Extension’s 4-H Camp is a unique, 32-acre retreat thatallows youth and adults to enjoy Lake Tahoe’s beauty. Situated on the south shore of LakeTahoe, the indoor and outdoor facilities are available to youth and adult groups for camps,

conferences,educationalevents, retreatsand otherprograms. Thediverse forest,meadow andbeach ecosys-tems providean unparalleledopportunity foroutdoor envi-ronmentaleducation.

The 4-HCamp featuresindoor andoutdoor meet-ing and diningfacilities for

learning and fun. The campfire area near the dining hall accommodates 200 people as doesthe scenic amphitheater overlooking the lake. For overnight use, five boys’ cabins and sevengirls’ cabins lodge 16youth each. The camp’s100 feet of private, sandybeachfront and grassylawn areas offer leisureactivities including swim-ming, volleyball, basket-ball and baseball.

For more infor-mation, contact: SueDonaldson at Univer-sity of Nevada Coop-erative Extension,(775) 784-4848, ordonaldsons@unce.unr.edu

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Forest Health Consensus Groupprotects Tahoe’s trees

University ofNevada CooperativeExtension educatorshave been an integralpart of this multi-agencygroup for a number ofyears. Their role is tofacilitate and assist thegroup in reachingagreement over thefuture health and regu-lation of Tahoe’s for-ests. They’ve recom-mended a permanentregulation to protectand perpetrate old-growth forests in Tahoewatersheds.

For more infor-mation, contact JohnCobourn at Univer-sity of Nevada Coop-erative Extension,(775) 832-4150,cobournj@unce.unr.edu,or Steve Lewis atUniversity of NevadaCooperative Exten-sion, (775) 782-9960,lewiss@unce.unr.edu