Skip to content
CapRadio

CapRadio

signal status listen live donate
listen live donate signal status
listen live donate signal status
  • News
    • topics
    • State Government
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • Race and Equity
    • Business
    • Arts and Lifestyle
    • Food and Sustainability
    • PolitiFact California
  • Music
    • genres
    • Classical
    • Jazz
    • Eclectic
    • Daily Playlist
  • Programs + Podcasts
    • news
    • Morning Edition
    • All Things Considered
    • Marketplace
    • Insight With Vicki Gonzalez
    • music
    • Acid Jazz
    • At the Opera
    • Classical Music
    • Connections
    • Excellence in Jazz
    • Hey, Listen!
    • K-ZAP on CapRadio
    • Mick Martin's Blues Party
    • Programs A-Z
    • Podcast Directory
  • Schedules
    • News
    • Music
    • ClassicalStream
    • JazzStream
    • Weekly Schedule
    • Daily Playlist
  • Community
    • Events Calendar
    • CapRadio Garden
    • CapRadio Reads
    • Ticket Giveaways
  • Support
    • Evergreen Gift
    • One-Time Gift
    • Corporate Support
    • Vehicle Donation
    • Stock Gift
    • Legacy Gift
    • Endowment Gift
    • Benefits
    • Member FAQ
    • e‑Newsletter
    • Drawing Winners
    • Thank You Gifts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Close Menu
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
  • Environment
  •  

Extreme Weather Dropped Lake Tahoe Clarity To Historic Lows In 2017

  •  Steve Milne 
Wednesday, June 13, 2018 | Sacramento, CA
Listen
/
download audio
Update RequiredTo play audio, update browser or Flash plugin.
UC Davis / Courtesy

Tahoe Environmental Research Center boat captain Brant Allen lowers a Secchi disk from the research vessel into Lake Tahoe. The disk has been used for more than 50 years to measure water clarity at the lake.

UC Davis / Courtesy

Lake Tahoe was a lot murkier last year.

Numbers out Wednesday show clarity in 2017 was the lowest on record, but researchers know why it was so bad. 

"It was really the coincidence of some extreme events," says Geoffrey Schladow, who heads the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center.

Those extreme events were an historic, five-year drought followed by one of the wettest winters on record with mega snow and rain.

All that precipitation flushed sediment that had been accumulating in stream beds during the drought into the lake.

"As an example, in 2017 there was something like 12,000 tons of sediment washed into Lake Tahoe," says Schladow. "In the previous five years, each year had less than a thousand tons. So it's a huge difference."

The average clarity level in 2017 was only 59.7 feet.

"That's about 9.5 feet less than the previous year," says Schladow. "Prior to this the lowest was in 1997, that was 64.1 feet. This notion of multiple extreme events back to back was considered unlikely, but it happened."

Measurements for 2018 have already shown a big improvement more in line with long-term trends.


Follow us for more stories like this

CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you.  As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.

Donate Today  

    More about drought

  • State Of Drought

    Reservoir levels are at historic lows, municipalities are ordering mandatory conservation and farmers are bracing for water shortages. CapRadio is following how Californians are being impacted by the drought.

    Related Stories

  • Andrew Nixon / Capital Public Radio

    Lake Tahoe Clarity Improved By 10 Feet In 2018 After Setting Record Low The Year Before

    Friday, May 24, 2019
    Lake Tahoe clarity increased to 70.9 feet in 2018, an improvement of more than 10 feet after a record low the previous year, according to the latest measurements by the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center.

 environmentdroughtUC Davislake tahoe

Steve Milne

Morning Edition Anchor & Reporter

Steve is the Morning Edition anchor for Capital Public Radio. He covers stories on a wide range of topics including: business, education, real estate, agriculture and music.  Read Full Bio 

Sign up for ReCap and never miss the top stories

Delivered to your inbox every Friday.

 

Check out a sample ReCap newsletter.

Thanks for subscribing!

Thank you for signing up for the ReCap newsletter! We'll send you an email each Friday with the top stories from CapRadio.

Browse all newsletters

More Environment Stories

Manola Secaira / CapRadio

Californians still want clean, safe water a decade after state declared it a human right

August 11, 2022

Ben Margot / AP Photo

A cataclysmic flood is coming for California. Climate change makes it more likely.

August 14, 2022

Most Viewed

Stalled U.S. Forest Service project could have protected California town from Caldor Fire destruction

California coronavirus updates: CDC drops quarantine, distancing guidelines

California coronavirus updates: First Lady Jill Biden tests positive for COVID-19

Northern California wildfires: Where to find updates on air quality, evacuations, and official information

Abortion is still legal in California. Here are answers to questions about access in the state.

We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter

Most Viewed

Stalled U.S. Forest Service project could have protected California town from Caldor Fire destruction

California coronavirus updates: CDC drops quarantine, distancing guidelines

California coronavirus updates: First Lady Jill Biden tests positive for COVID-19

Northern California wildfires: Where to find updates on air quality, evacuations, and official information

Abortion is still legal in California. Here are answers to questions about access in the state.

Back to Top

  • CapRadio

    7055 Folsom Boulevard
    Sacramento, CA 95826-2625

    • (916) 278-8900
    • Toll-free (877) 480-5900
    • Email Us
    • Submit a News Tip
  • Contact Us

  • About Us

    • Contact Us / Feedback
    • Coverage
    • Directions
    • Careers & Internships
    • Mission / Vision / Core Values
    • Press
    • Staff Directory
    • Board of Directors
  • Listening Options

    • Mobile App
    • On Air Schedules
    • Smart Speakers
    • Playlist
    • Podcasts
    • RSS
  • Connect With Us

    •  Facebook
    •  Twitter
    •  Instagram
    •  YouTube
  • Donate

  • Listen

  • Newsletters

CapRadio stations are licensed to California State University, Sacramento. © 2022, Capital Public Radio. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Website Feedback FCC Public Files: KXJZ KKTO KUOP KQNC KXPR KXSR KXJS. For assistance accessing our public files, please call 916-278-8900 or email us.