Lake Tahoe Content

2025 Lake Tahoe Clarity Report Released

Katherine E Kerlin — June 09, 2026 - 8:30am

Staring into the depths of Lake Tahoe, you might think the view goes on forever. But researchers at the 51�ԹϺ�� Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center have been tracking precisely how far a person can see through the famed lake’s waters for nearly 60 years and sharing the results in the annual Lake Tahoe Clarity Report.

Lessons from the Caldor Fire’s Christmas Valley ‘Miracle’

Katherine E Kerlin — December 19, 2025 - 9:00am

The Lake Tahoe communities of Christmas Valley and Meyers were spared during 2021's Caldor Fire. A 51�ԹϺ�� Davis study reveals which pre-fire fuel treatments worked best to bring about the Christmas Valley "miracle."

Lake Tahoe Algae Experiment Suggests Seasonal Shifts Ahead

Katherine E Kerlin — October 06, 2025 - 9:06am

As the climate warms and nutrient inputs shift, algal communities in cool, clear mountain lakes like Lake Tahoe will likely experience seasonal changes, according to a study from the University of California, Davis.

Periphyton, that fuzzy layer of attached algae covering the rocks as you step into the water, is a healthy and critical part of a lake’s food web. Periphyton blooms, however, signal changes that can degrade both water quality and a shoreline’s natural beauty.

Tahoe State of the Lake Report Released for 2024

Katherine E Kerlin — July 17, 2025 - 9:00am

The 51�ԹϺ�� Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center today released its “Tahoe: State of the Lake Report ,” which presents data from 2024 in the context of the long-term record.

Extreme Weather Cycles Change Underwater Light at Tahoe

Katherine E Kerlin — May 21, 2025 - 9:00am

Large shifts in UV radiation at Lake Tahoe are associated with wet and dry climate extremes, finds a 51�ԹϺ�� Davis study.

Burning Question: How to Save an Old-Growth Forest in Tahoe

Katherine E Kerlin — March 03, 2025 - 9:02am

On the shores of Lake Tahoe at Emerald Bay State Park grows what some consider to be the most iconic old-growth forest in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Giant ponderosa pines — some of the last remaining in the area — share space with at least 13 other tree species.

Stephanie Hampton Appointed Director of the Tahoe Environmental Research Center

Katherine E Kerlin — November 15, 2024 - 12:30pm

Stephanie Hampton is the newly appointed director of the 51�ԹϺ�� Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, beginning in spring of 2025.

Annual Report on State of Lake Tahoe Shows Recent Impacts, Long-Term Trends

Andy Fell — August 08, 2024 - 11:02am

The annual “State of the Lake” report from the Tahoe Environmental Research Center at the University of California, Davis, released today (Aug. 8), shows how long-term climate trends continue to affect the iconic lake in complex ways. The report also describes how research at Lake Tahoe relates to work at other lakes in the U.S. and worldwide, including the development of new technology, and how citizens are contributing to preserving Tahoe’s natural beauty.

Clarity, Changing Food Web Detailed in Annual Lake Tahoe Report

Emily C Dooley — July 20, 2023 - 8:00am

The 51�ԹϺ�� Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center's annual Tahoe: State of the Lake Report, describes the past year as one of rapid biological change.

Lake Tahoe’s Clarity the Best It’s Been Since 1980s

Katherine E Kerlin — April 10, 2023 - 9:15am

In 2022, Lake Tahoe was the clearest it has been since the 1980s, due in part to a resurgence of the lake’s native zooplankton, finds the 51�ԹϺ�� Davis Tahoe Clarity Report.