Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe(/ˈtɑːhoʊ/;Washo:Dáʔaw) is afreshwaterlakein theSierra Nevadaof theWestern United States, straddling the border betweenCaliforniaandNevada. Lying at 6,225 ft (1,897 m) above sea level, Lake Tahoe is the largestalpine lakeinNorth America,and at 122,160,280acre⋅ft(150.7 km) it trails only the fiveGreat Lakesas thelargest by volumein the United States. Its depth is 1,645 ft (501 m), making it thesecond deepestin the United States afterCrater LakeinOregon(1,949 ft or 594 m).
The lake was formed about two million years ago as part of the Lake Tahoe Basin, and its modern extent was shaped during theice ages. It is known for the clarity of its water and the panorama of surrounding mountains on all sides.The area surrounding the lake is also referred to as Lake Tahoe, or simply Tahoe; its English name is derived from itsWashoname,Dáʔaw.More than 75% of the lake'swatershedisnational forestland, covered by theLake Tahoe Basin Management Unitof theUnited States Forest Service.
Lake Tahoe is a major tourist attraction in both Nevada and California. It is home to winter sports, summer outdoor recreation, and scenery enjoyed throughout the year. Snow and ski resorts are a significant part of the area's economy and reputation.The Nevada side also offers several lakeside casino resorts, with highways providing year-round access to the entire area.
The name for Lake Tahoe derives from theWashoword for the lake,Dáʔaw, meaning 'the lake.'Even thoughdáʔawis used in the names of other lakes with modifiers (for example,Á’waku dáʔawforPyramid Lake, meaning 'trout lake'), it often is used without a modifier to refer to Lake Tahoe. This may be because of Tahoe's importance to Washo culture.
Lake Tahoe is the second deepest lake in the U.S., with a maximum depth of 1,645 feet (501 m),trailing Oregon'sCrater Lakeat 1,949 ft (594 m).Tahoe is the 17thdeepest lake in the world, and the sixth deepest in average depth. It is about 22 mi (35 km) long and 12 mi (19 km) wide and has 72 mi (116 km) of shoreline and a surface area of 191 square miles (490 km). The lake is so large that its surface is noticeably convex due to the curvature of the Earth.At lake level the opposing shorelines are below the horizon at its widest parts; by nearly 100 feet (30 m) at its maximum width, and by some 320 feet (98 m) along its length.Visibility may vary somewhat withatmospheric refraction;when the air temperature is much greater than the lake temperature,loomingmay occur where the lake surface or opposing shoreline is lifted above the horizon.Fata Morganamay be responsible forTahoe Tessiesightings.
Approximately two-thirds of the shoreline is in California.The south shore is dominated by the lake's largest city,South Lake Tahoe, California, which adjoins the town ofStateline, Nevada, whileTahoe City, California, is located on the lake's northwest shore.Kings Beach, California, andIncline Village, Nevada, anchor the lake's north shore.Although highways run within sight of the lake shore for much of Tahoe's perimeter, many importantparts of the shoreline lie within state parks or are protected by theUnited States Forest Service. TheLake Tahoe Watershed(USGSHuc18100200) of 505 sq mi (1,310 km) is the land area that drains to the lake and the Lake Tahoe drainage divide traverses the same general area as theTahoe Rim Trail.
Lake Tahoe is fed by 63 tributaries. These drain an area about the same size as the lake and produce half its water, the other half by direct precipitation.
TheTruckee Riveris the lake's only outlet,flowing northeast throughReno, Nevada, intoPyramid Lakewhich hasno outlet. It accounts for one third of the water that leaves the lake, the rest evaporating from the lake's surface. Evaporation is thought to account for 40 to 60 percent of the water usage.The flow of the Truckee River and the height of the lake are controlled byLake Tahoe Damat the outlet. The natural rim is at 6,223 ft (1,897 m) above sea level. The maximum legal limit to which the lake can be allowed to rise in order to store water is at 6,229.1 ft (1,898.6 m); a spillway at the dam controls overflow.Around New Year 1996/1997 aPineapple Expressatmospheric rivermelted snow and caused the lake and river to overflow, inundating Reno and surrounding areas.
TheLake Tahoe Basinwas formed by vertical motion (normal)faulting. Uplifted blocks created theCarson Rangeon the east and the main Sierra Nevada crest on the west. Down-dropping and block tilting (half-grabens) created the Lake Tahoe Basin in between.This kind of faulting is characteristic of the geology of the adjoiningGreat Basinto the east.
Lake Tahoe is the youngest of several extensional basins of theWalker Lanedeformation zone that accommodates nearly 0.47 in (12 mm) per year ofdextral shearbetween theSierra Nevada-Great Valley Blockand theNorth America plate.
Three principal faults form the Lake Tahoe basin: the West Tahoe Fault, aligned betweenMeyersandTahoe City, and which is the local segment of theSierra Nevada Fault, extending on shore north and south of these localities;the Stateline/North Tahoe Fault, starting in the middle of the lake and creating the relief that forms Stateline, NV; and the Incline Village Fault, which runs parallel to the Stateline/North Tahoe Fault offshore and into Incline Village.The West Tahoe Fault appears to be the most active and potentially hazardous fault in the basin. A study in Fallen Leaf Lake, just south of Lake Tahoe, used seafloor mapping techniques to image evidence for paleoearthquakes on the West Tahoe and revealed the last earthquake occurred between 4,100 and 4,500 years ago.Subsequent studies revealed submarine landslides in Fallen Leaf Lake and Lake Tahoe that are thought to have been triggered by earthquakes on the West Tahoe fault and the timing of these events suggests arecurrence intervalof 3,000–4,000 years.
Some of the highest peaks of the Lake Tahoe Basin that formed during the process of Lake Tahoe creation areFreel Peakat 10,891 feet (3,320 m),Monument Peakat 10,067 feet (3,068 m),Pyramid Peakat 9,984 feet (3,043 m) (in theDesolation Wilderness), andMount Tallacat 9,735 feet (2,967 m).The north shore boasts three peaks at over 10,000 feet (3,048 m):Mount Roseat 10,785 feet (3,287 m),Mount Houghtonat 10,490 feet (3,197 m) andRelay Peakat 10,388 feet (3,166 m). Mt. Rose is a very popular hiking and backcountry skiing destination.
Eruptions from the now-extinctvolcanoMount Plutoformed avolcanic damon the north side. Melting snow filled the southern and lowest part of the basin to form the ancestral Lake Tahoe. Rain and runoff added additional water.
The Sierra Nevada adjacent to Lake Tahoe were carved by scouringglaciersduring the Ice Ages, which began a million or more years ago, and retreated ~15,000 years ago at the end of thePleistocene. The glaciers carved canyons that are today iconic landmarks such asEmerald Bay, Cascade Lake, andFallen Leaf Lake, among others. Lake Tahoe itself never held glaciers, but instead water is retained by dammingMiocenevolcanic deposits.
Soils of the basin come primarily fromandesiticvolcanic rocks andgranodiorite, with minor areas ofmetamorphic rock. Some of the valley bottoms and lower hill slopes are mantled with glacialmoraines, orglacial outwashmaterial derived from the parent rock. Sandy soils, rock outcrops and rubble and stonycolluviumaccount for over 70% of the land area in the basin. The basin soils (in the < 2 mm fraction) are generally 65–85% sand (0.05–2.0 mm).
Given the great depth of Lake Tahoe, and the locations of the normal faults in the deepest portions of the lake, modeling suggests that earthquakes on these faults can triggertsunamis. Wave heights of these tsunamis are predicted to be on the order of 10 to 33 ft (3 to 10 m) in height, capable of traversing the lake in just a few minutes.A massive collapse of the western edge of the basin that formed McKinney Bay around 50,000 years ago is thought to have generated a tsunami/seiche wavewith a height approaching 330 ft (100 m).
Lake Tahoe has adry-summer continental climate(Dsbin theKöppen climate classification), featuring warm, dry summers and chilly winters with regular snowfall. Mean annual precipitation ranges from over 55 inches (1,400 mm) for watersheds on the west side of the basin to about 26 inches (660 mm) near the lake on the east side of the basin. Most of the precipitation falls as snow between November and April, although rainstorms combined with rapid snowmelt account for the largest floods. There is a pronounced annual runoff of snowmelt in late spring and early summer, the timing of which varies from year to year. In some years, summertimemonsoonstorms from the Great Basin bring intense rainfall, especially to high elevations on the northeast side of the basin.
August is normally the warmest month at theLake Tahoe Airport(elevation 6,254 ft; 1,906 m) with an average maximum of 78.7 °F (25.9 °C) and an average minimum of 39.8 °F (4.3 °C). January is the coolest month with an average maximum of 41.0 °F (5.0 °C) and an average minimum of 15.1 °F (−9.4 °C). The all-time maximum of 99 °F (37 °C) was recorded on July 22, 1988. The all-time minimum of −16 °F (−27 °C) was recorded on December 9, 1972. Temperatures exceed 90 °F (32 °C) on an average of 2.0 days annually. Minimum temperatures of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower occur on an average of 231.8 days annually, and minimum temperatures of 0 °F (−18 °C) or lower occur on an average of 7.6 days annually. Freezing temperatures have occurred in every month of the year.
Vegetation in the basin is dominated by a mixed conifer forest ofjeffrey pine(Pinus jeffreyi),lodgepole pine(P. contorta),white fir(Abies concolor),red fir(A. magnifica),sugar pine(P. lambertiana),California incense-cedar(Calocedrus decurrens),ponderosa pine(P. ponderosa), andwestern white pine(P. monticola).The basin also contains significant areas ofwet meadowsandriparianareas, drymeadows, brush fields (withArctostaphylosandCeanothus) and rockoutcropareas, especially at higher elevations.Ceanothusis capable offixing nitrogen, butmountain alder(Alnus tenuifolia), which grows along many of the basin's streams, springs and seeps, fixes far greater quantities, and contributes measurably to nitrate-N concentrations in some small streams. The beaches of Lake Tahoe are the only known habitat for the rareLake Tahoe yellowcress(Rorippa subumbellata), a plant which grows in the wet sand between low- and high-water marks.Vegetation in the lake itself formerly consisted of nativeCharaandGomphoneisalgae andcoontail(Ceratophyllum demersum), but the later introduction ofcurlyleaf pondweed(Potamogeton crispus),Eurasian watermilfoil(Myriophyllum spicatum), andZygnemaandCladophoraalgae has transformed the nearshore environment.
Native fish of the lake includeLahontan cutthroat trout(Oncorhynchus clarki henshawi),mountain whitefish(Prosopiurm williamsoni),Lahontan speckled dace(Rhinichthys osculus robustus),Lahontan redside(Rhinichthys egregious),Lahontan Lake tui chub(Siphateles bicolor pectinifer),Tahoe sucker(Catostomus tahoensis),Lahontan mountain sucker(Catostomus platyrhynchus lahontan), andPaiute sculpin(Cottus beldingi). Most of these fish populations have been significantly reduced due to the introduction of nonnative fish,Asian clam(Corbicula fluminea), andmysid shrimp. Competition from introduced fish led cutthroat trout to be completelyextirpatedfrom the lake in the early 20th century untilreintroductionefforts started in 2019.
Introduced fish species includelake trout(Salvelinus namaycush),rainbow trout(Oncorhynchus mykiss gairdneri),sockeye salmon(Oncorhyncus nerka),brown trout(Salmo trutta),brook trout(Salvelinus fontinalis),common carp(Cyprinus carpio),golden shiner(Notemigonus crysoleucas),western mosquitofish(Gambusia affinis),bluegill(Lepomis macrochirus),black(Pomoxis nigromaculatus) andwhite(P. annularis)crappie,largemouth(Micropterus salmoides) andsmallmouth(Micropterus dolomieu)bass, andbrown bullhead(Ameiurus nebulosus).Each autumn, from late September through mid-October, mature sockeye salmon transform from silver-blue color to a fieryvermilion, and run up Taylor Creek, near South Lake Tahoe. As spawning season approaches the fish acquire a humpback and protuberant jaw. After spawning they die and their carcasses provide a feast for gatherings ofmink(Neogale vison),bears(Ursus americanus), andbald eagles(Haliaeetus leucocephalus). The non-native salmon were transplanted from theNorth Pacificto Lake Tahoe in 1944.
North American beaver(Castor canadensis) werere-introduced to the Tahoe Basinby theCalifornia Department of Fish and Wildlifeand theU.S. Forest Servicebetween 1934 and 1949. Descended from no more than nine individuals, 1987 beaver populations on the upper and lowerTruckee Riverhad reached a density of 0.72 colonies (3.5 beavers) per kilometer.At the present time beaver have been seen in Tahoe Keys,Taylor Creek, Meeks Creek atMeeks Bayon the western shore, andKings Beachon the north shore, so the descendants of the original nine beavers have apparently migrated around most of Lake Tahoe.Recently novel physical evidence has demonstrated that beaver were native to the Sierra until at least the mid-nineteenth century, via radiocarbon dating of buried beaver dam wood uncovered by deep channel incision in theFeather Riverwatershed.That report was supported by a summary of indirect evidence of beaver including reliable observer accounts of beaver in multiple watersheds from the northern to the southern Sierra Nevada, including its eastern slope.A specific documented record of beaver living historically in Lake Tahoe'sNorth Canyon Creekwatershed aboveGlenbrookincludes a description ofSpooner Meadowrancher Charles Fulstone hiring a caretaker to control the beaver population in the early 20th century.A recent study of Taylor Creek showed that beaver dam removal decreased wetland habitat, increased stream flow, and increased total phosphorus pollutants entering Lake Tahoe – all factors which negatively impact the clarity of the lake's water.In addition, beaver dams located inWard Creek, located on the west shore of Lake Tahoe, were also shown to decrease nutrients and sediments traveling downstream.
The lake's low temperatures and extreme depth can slow the decomposition rate of organic matter. For example, the almost perfectly preserved body of a diver was found at a depth of 300 feet (90 m) 17 years after he went missing.
The area around Lake Tahoe was previously inhabited by theWashoeNative Americans. Lake Tahoe was the center and heart of Washoe Indian territory, including the upper valleys of theWalker,Carsonand Truckee Rivers.
Cave Rockis a large rock formation located on the southeastern shore of the lake and considered a sacred site for the Washoe Indians. The Washoe people called Cave Rockdeʔek wadapush(Washofor Standing Gray Rock). Part of why the Washoe felt the Cave was sacred was due to "The Lady of the Lake" a rock formation on the side of the Cave which looks like the profile of a woman's face gazing out towards the lake. Washoe ancestors performed religious ceremonies inside the cave. There were significant but ultimately unsuccessful protests from the tribe when atunnelwas blasted through the rock in 1931 for Highway 50.
Lt.John C. Frémontwas the first European-American to see Lake Tahoe, during his second exploratory expedition on February 14, 1844.Fremont named it "Lake Bonpland" afterAimé Bonpland(a French botanist who had accompaniedPrussianexplorerAlexander von Humboldtin his exploration ofMexico, Colombia and theAmazon River).Lake Bonpland's usage never became popular, and the name changed from "Mountain Lake" to "Fremont's Lake" several years after.John Calhoun Johnson, Sierra explorer and founder of "Johnson's Cutoff" (nowU.S. Route 50), named itFallen Leaf Lakeafter his Indian guide. Johnson's first job in the west was in the government service carrying the mail on snowshoes fromPlacervilletoNevada City, during which time he named it "Lake Bigler" after California's third governorJohn Bigler. In 1853 William Eddy, the surveyor general of California, identified the lake as Lake Bigler.
The usage never became universal. By the start of theAmerican Civil Warin 1861, former Governor Bigler, once a Free Soil Democrat, had become such an ardentConfederatesympathizer that Union advocates objected to the name. Unionists andRepublicansalike derided the former governor's name on the lake on official state maps. Pro-Union papers called for a "change from thisSeceshappellation" and "noCopperheadnames on our landmarks for us."Several Unionist members in the Legislature suggested changing the name to the fanciful sounding "Tula Tulia". TheSacramento Unionjokingly suggested the name "Largo Bergler" for Bigler's widely perceived financial incompetency in his final term and contemporary Southern sympathies. Within a year, different maps referred to the lake not only as Bigler, but also as "Mountain Lake" and "Maheon Lake".
The debate took a new direction when William Henry Knight, mapmaker for the federalU.S. Department of the Interior, and colleague Dr. Henry DeGroot of theSacramento Unionjoined the political argument in 1862. As Knight completed a new map of the lake, the mapmaker asked DeGroot for a new name of the lake. DeGroot suggested "Tahoe", a local tribal name he believed meant "water in a high place". Knight agreed, and telegraphed to the Land Office in Washington, D.C., to officially change all federal maps to now read "Lake Tahoe". Knight later explained his desire for a name change, writing, "I remarked (to many) that people had expressed dissatisfaction with the name "Bigler", bestowed in honor of a man who had not distinguished himself by any single achievement, and I thought now would be a good time to select an appropriate name and fix it forever on that beautiful sheet of water."
"Lake Tahoe", also like "Lake Bigler", did not gain universal acceptance.Mark Twain, a critic of the new name, called it an "unmusical cognomen". In an 1864 editorial regarding the name in theVirginia CityTerritorial Enterprise, Twain cited Bigler as being "the legitimate name of the Lake, and it will be retained until some name less flat, insipid and spooney than "Tahoe" is invented for it."In Twain's 1869 novelInnocents Abroad, Twain continued to deride the name in his foreign travels. "People say that Tahoe means 'Silver Lake' – 'Limpid Water' – 'Falling Leaf.' Bosh! It means grasshopper soup, the favorite dish of the digger tribe – and of the Paiutes as well."ThePlacervilleMountain Democratbegan a notorious rumor that "Tahoe" was actually anIndianrenegade who plundered upon White settlers. To counter the federal government, the California State Legislature reaffirmed in 1870 that the lake was indeed called "Lake Bigler".
But to most surveys and the general public it was known as Lake Tahoe.By the end of the 19th century "Lake Bigler" had nearly completely fallen out of popular use in favor of "Tahoe". The California State Legislature reversed its previous decision in 1945, officially changing the name to Lake Tahoe.
Upon discovery of gold in theSouth Fork of the American Riverin 1848, thousands of gold seekers going west passed near the basin on their way to the gold fields. Europeans first impinged upon the Lake Tahoe basin with the 1858 discovery of theComstock Lode, a silver deposit just 15 miles (24 km) to the east inVirginia City, Nevada. From 1858 until about 1890, logging in the basin supplied large timbers to shore up the underground workings of the Comstock mines.The logging was so extensive that loggers cut down almost all of the native forest.
Lake Tahoe became a transportation hub for the surrounding area as mining and logging commenced prior to development of railroads. The first mail delivery was via asailboatwhich took a week to visit each of the lakeside communities.The firststeamboaton Lake Tahoe was the 42-foot (13 m)paddle wheeltugboatGovernor Blasdeltowing log rafts to asawmillon the south side of Glenbrook Bay from 1863 until herboilerexploded in 1877. The 40-foot (12 m)Truckeeand 55-foot (17 m)propeller-drivenEmeraldwere also towing log rafts in 1870.J.A. Todman brought steam-powered passenger service to Lake Tahoe in 1872 with the 100-foot (30 m) 125-passengerside-wheel steamerGovernor Stanfordwhich reduced the mail delivery trip around Lake Tahoe to eight hours.Todman expanded service with steamboatsMamie,Niagara, andTod Goodwin. Lawrence & Comstock provided competition with their steel-hulled steamboatTallacin 1890 and later purchased Todman's steamboatsMamieandTod Goodwin. TheCarson and Tahoe Lumber and Fluming Companypurchased the 83-foot (25 m)Niagaraand built the iron-hulled steamboatsMeteorin 1876 andEmerald (II)in 1887. The 75-foot (23 m)Meteorwas the fastest boat on Lake Tahoe with a speed of 22 miles (35 km) per hour.Lake Tahoe Railway and Transportation Companydominated the passenger and mail route after launch of their 200-passenger steamboatTahoeon June 24, 1896. The 154-tonTahoewas 170 feet (52 m) long with a slender 18-foot (5.5 m) beam so her 1,200 horsepower (890 kW) engines could push her over the lake at 18.5 knots. Lake Tahoe Railway and Transportation Company purchasedTallacand rebuilt her asNevadawith length increased by 20 feet (6.1 m) to serve as a backup steamboat whenTahoerequired maintenance.
Tod Goodwinburned at Tallac, and most of the other steamboats were retired as the sawmills ran out of trees and people began traveling by automobile.Niagarawas scrapped at Tahoe City in 1900.Governor Stanfordwas beached at Glenbrook where its boiler was used until 1942 heating cottages at Glenbrook Inn and Ranch. Steamboats continued to carry a mail clerk around Lake Tahoe until 1934, when the mail contract was given to the 42-foot (13 m) motorboatMarian Bpowered by twoChevroletengines. Mail delivery moved ashore after theMarian Bwas lost on May 17, 1941, when her owner and the mail clerk attempted mail delivery during a storm.The 60-foot (18 m)Emerald (II)left Lake Tahoe in 1935 to become a fishing boat inSan Diego.HistoricTahoe,Nevada, andMeteorwere purchased with hope they might be preserved; but were scuttled in deep water after deterioration made preservation impractical. The latter two lie in Glenbrook Bay, butTahoesank in deeper water.
Even in the mining era, the potential of the basin as a tourist destination was recognized. Tahoe City was founded in 1864 as a resort community for Virginia City.
Public appreciation of the Tahoe basin grew, and during the1912, 1913and1918 Congressional sessions, congressmen tried unsuccessfully to designate the basin as anational park.
While Lake Tahoe is a natural lake, it is also used for water storage by theTruckee-Carson Irrigation District(TCID). The lake level is controlled byLake Tahoe Dambuilt in 1913 at the lake's only outlet, theTruckee River, at Tahoe City. The 18-foot (5.5 m) high dam can increase the lake's capacity by 744,600acre⋅ft(918,500,000 m).
During the first half of the 20th century, development around the lake consisted of a few vacation homes. The post-World War II population and building boom, followed by construction of gambling casinos in the Nevada part of the basin during the mid-1950s, and completion of the interstate highway links for the1960 Winter Olympicsheld atOlympic Valley(then known as "Squaw Valley"), resulted in a dramatic increase in development within the basin. From 1960 to 1980, the permanent residential population increased from about 10,000 to greater than 50,000, and the summer population grew from about 10,000 to about 90,000.Since the 1980s, development has slowed due to controls on land use.
Lake Tahoe is divided by the prominent interstate boundary between California and Nevada, where the two states' edges make their iconic directional turn near the middle of the lake. This boundary has been disputed since the mid-nineteenth century.
As part of thecompromise of 1850, California was speedilyadmitted to the Union. In doing so, Congress approved theCalifornia Constitutionwhich defined the state's boundary in reference togeographical coordinates. This includes the section of the120th meridianthat is between the42nd parallelat theOregonborder to the39th parallelamid Lake Tahoe, and anobliqueline continuing from that point southward to where theColorado Rivercrosses the35th parallel.Fourteen years later, Congress approved theNevada Constitutionwhen it was admitted as a state in 1864, which defined its western border at the forty third degree of Longitude West fromWashington, D.C., and its southwestern border along the oblique section of the boundary line of California. While 43 degrees of longitude west from theWashington Meridiandoes not really coincide with the 120 degrees longitude west ofGreenwich, the 1864 Congress was of the belief that the two lines were identical; the former wasabandonednationally in 1884. The centuries longdisputethat erupted began withboundarydiscrepancies across manysurveyswithin which were valuable mineral deposits; Nevada also had a wish that California would assent tocedeits land east of thepacific crestas had been preauthorized by Congress in 1850.The first consequential attempt tomarkthe California-Nevada boundary was the 1863J.F. HoughtonandButler Ivesline. An 1867–1868 survey of the California-Oregon border byDaniel G. Majorfor theUnited States General Land Officefound the 120th meridian more than two miles west of the prior line, so it was followed by the 1872 survey byAlexey W. Von Schmidt. Against initial instructions, Von Schmidt began his survey with the1872 California-Nevada State Boundary Markerwhich was six-tenths of a mile east of the Houghton-Ives line. When he discovered theColorado Riverhad shifted at the 35th parallel, he simply changed the endpoint resulting in a survey that was neither straight nor accurate. Substantial doubts led Congress in 1892 to fund theUnited States Coast and Geodetic Surveyto remark the oblique line.This new survey found the Von Schmidt line to be 1,600 to 1,800 feet too far west, but both surveys were then used by both states.Unsurprisingly, the combination of the 1893 C.G.S. survey's oblique line and Schmidt's well marked north–south line do not intersect precisely at the 39th parallel as mandated by the California Constitution. Congress does not have theconstitutional powerto unilaterally move state boundaries.
The wealth in natural resources between the Sierra Crest and the easternmost sections of survey lines created a powerful source for conflict. Majormining sitesin the Tahoe area were in disputed territory. In a striking display ofopportunismwhich ostensibly occurred because the boundary was still "officially" unsurveyed, settlers arrogated parts of California up to the irregular Sierra Crest tens of miles east of the boundary—defined over six years prior—in an attempt to createNataqua Territory. An armed skirmish known as theSagebrush Warincluded gunshots exchanged between militia.Even after six surveys, conflict remained over which of them, if any, were legally binding in marking the boundary;this was partially heard by theSupreme Court of the United Statesin 1980, where the doctrine ofacquiescencewas invoked.
A boundary defined in terms ofgeographical coordinatesis theoretically precise, but poses pragmatic challenges to implement. Where a particular coordinate actually lies on the surface of the earth is dependent on thefigure of the Earth. In the mid-1800s theBessel ellipsoid of 1841or theClarke ellipsoid of 1866were widely used; theHayford ellipsoid of 1910may later have been used by the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey. The standard ellipsoid for western states in 1849—which is generally congruent with that year's version of theAstronomical Almanac—isimplicitin California's constitutional boundary definition; incessant invention of newdatumsby new and potentially interested parties do not re-render the old boundary definition. Holding assumptions of the earth back-in-time, modernsatelliteassisted survey techniques can determine location andtransformthem onto oldellipsoidsto within a centimeter.Celestial navigationtechniques by contrast, are accurate up to two-fifths of a mile; uncertainty in the latter was known, but precision then was unobtainable.
The legacy of this dispute continues.There is an official federalobelisk-shapedmonumentmarking the oblique California border, which is now surrounded byEdgewood Tahoe golf resortthat is claimed and taxed by Nevada.A federal survey monument was removed to the Lake Tahoe Historical Society circa 2018.The Von Schmidt line crosses US 50 on the west edge of present-dayApplebee's, and the east edge of the Marcus Ashley Gallery in Tahoe Crescent V Shopping Center.The Nevada community ofStatelinehas been moved east.
The boundary splits Lake Tahoe unevenly, with two-thirds in California and one-third in Nevada.In California, Lake Tahoe is divided between Placer County and El Dorado County. In Nevada, Lake Tahoe is divided among Washoe County, Douglas County and Carson City (anindependent city).
Lake Tahoe is aU.S. Navigable Waterway,underfederal jurisdiction,and the public is allowed to occupy any watercraft as close to any shore as the craft isnavigable.Public capacity to navigate across any land formerly inundated by the waterway is not extinguished by the lowering of the lake level; this federal easement is maintained underUnited States law.Because small fluctuations in the height of the shoreline can result in substantive temporal immersions by the lake surface, the irreversible public easement slowly grows larger in size.
While thesubmerged landsgenerally belong to the state,the water held in the lake is federally controlled by theUS Bureau of Reclamation,and immersion of the shoreline itself would be acommon lawtrespass against east lakefront property owners if it were not for the land—below the theoretical maximum elevation of the lake—being in a perpetual federal easement.Neither state has the authority to rescind navigability along the shoreline below the highmark of the waterbody, because it has been granted under federal law through theEnumerated powers of the United States. The entire waterbody is navigable; it is common for the majority of users to be operating negligibledraftone-person craft such askayaksandstandup paddleboards.TheTahoe Regional Planning Agencydoes not have the authority to override existing federal law even if it was also created by Congress.
Like the interstate boundary itself, the high watermark has been disputed as well.The theoretical maximum elevation of the lake is 6,229.1 feet (1,898.6 m), using the Lake Tahoe datum. The yearly maximum is commonly 0.35 feet (0.11 m) lower.Strong winds across the lake's substantialfetchcan create asurgewhich further lifts the high-water line onleewardshores, known as aseiche.
On the California side, the shorezone is expressly maintained in a constitutionallyand statutorilyprotectedpublic trust,analogous to aneasement,which is managed by theCalifornia State Lands Commissionand under a concurrent federal easement. As public land, the shorezone on this side may be used for nearly any purpose,rather than just travel. Upland owner is not entitled to utilize their land subject to public trust in any manner incompatible with public's interest in the property—which includes broad recreational uses.Owner is akin to a trustee of public trust for benefit of all the people, and as such hasfiduciaryresponsibilities to the beneficiaries; state remains trustee with duty to supervise trust.It is a crime for anyone who hinders, prevents, or obstructs free passage over the state lands, trusts, easements,or federal public easement.
Building new piers can infringe on thepublic trust, which among many things, is purposed to preserve the land in its natural state.Accretions created in the shorezone by artificial means remain as public land because they are part of the public trust.The private Lakeside Park Association has made such an artificial accretion of land that is freely open for public use.Access to and from the shorezone across private land on publicly enjoyed paths is by right-of-wayor prescriptive easement.Recent attempts by Lakefront Homeowners to usepiersas "easement fences" to obstruct beach travel are encroaching centuries of establishedeasementandadmiralty law.
The accessibility of the Nevada beach-land below the high watermark has been the source of practical rather than legal controversy. The land is a public trust or easement under theRivers and Harbors Act, theSubmerged Lands Act, the several Coast Guard Authorization Acts,but affluent beachfront landowners and their elected civic leaders maintain the land is effectively private under state law because state law enforcement is not charged with enforcing federal law.They dispute the high water mark itself by arguing that the state of Nevada has not agreedto either a highwater level ordatumwith California and theUS.Some Civic leaders for the Nevada shore have been pushing a frivolousstates rightstheory of property law—which intermittently nullifies federal easements whenever the lake level recedes—which has never been tested infederal court.Instilling public fear of criminal trespassing is the core goal under the theory, which if actually prosecuted would be a risky power play. Thesheriffsin Nevada are elected officials;false arrestcan lead to an official's imprisonment and cost their electorate hundreds of thousands of dollars.To be convicted oftrespassing, one must bebeyond reasonable doubtabove the highwater mark, which under their states rights theory is an arbitrary fact to be found.The land is concurrently claimed by theNevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources(Nevada Division of State Lands).It is a crime to prevent or obstruct use of Nevada state lands.
As the population grew and development expanded in the 1960s, the question of protecting the lake became more imperative. In 1969, the U.S. Congress and the California and Nevada State Legislatures created a unique compact to share resources and responsibilities. The Compact established theTahoe Regional Planning Agency(TRPA), a bi-state agency charged with environmental protection of the Basin through land-use regulation and planning.In 1980, the U.S. Congress amended the Compact with public law 96-551. The law designated a new agency, the Tahoe Transportation District (TTD), to facilitate and implement Basin and regional transportation improvements/additions for the protection, restoration and use of the lake. Schisms between both agencies and local residents have led to the formation of grass-roots organizations that hold to even stricter environmentalism.
Lake Tahoe is also the location of several 19th and 20th century palatial homes of historical significance. TheThunderbird Lodgebuilt by George Whittel Jr once included nearly 27 miles (43 km) of the Nevada shoreline.Vikingsholmwas the original settlement onEmerald Bayand included an island teahouse and a 38-room home. The Ehrman Mansion is a summer home built by a former Wells Fargo president in Sugar Pine Point and is now a state park. ThePony Expresshad a route that went fromGenoa StationoverDaggett PasstoFriday's StationandYanks Station; it succeeded the route throughWoodford's Stationand Fountain Place Station both on the way toStrawberry Station.
Despite land-use planning and export of treatedsewageeffluent from the basin, the lake is becoming increasinglyeutrophic(having an excessive richness of nutrients), with primary productivity increasing by more than 5% annually, and clarity decreasing at an average rate of 0.82 feet (0.25 m) per year.Until the early 1980s, nutrient-limitation studies showed that primary productivity in the lake was nitrogen-limited. Now, after a half-century of accelerated nitrogen input (much of it from direct atmospheric deposition), the lake is phosphorus limited. Theodore Swift et al.,concluded that "suspended inorganic sediments and phytoplanktonic algae both contribute significantly to the reduction in clarity, and that suspended particulate matter, rather than dissolved organic matter, are the dominant causes of clarity loss." The largest source of fine sediment particles to Lake Tahoe is urban stormwater runoff, constituting 72 percent of the total fine sediment particle load.Recent research has shown that the urban uplands also provide the largest opportunity to reduce fine sediment particle and phosphorus contributions to the lake. Historic clarity of approximately 98 feet (30 m) can be achieved with total reduction of approximately 75 percent from urban sources.
Historically, the clarity of Lake Tahoe continued to decrease through 2010, when the averageSecchi depth, 64.4 feet (19.6 m), was the second lowest ever recorded (the lowest was 64.1 feet (19.5 m) in 1997). This represented a decrease of 3.7 feet (1.1 m) from the previous year.However, the lake's clarity increased from 2011 to 2014, improving by nearly 20 percent.
A water quality study by the Lahontan Water Quality Control Board and the Nevada Division of Environmental Protectiondetermined the largest source of finesedimentparticles: 71 percent is developed area (urban) erosion and run-off, much of it associated with transportation infrastructure and services.
Lake Tahoe is a tributary watershed drainage element within the Truckee River Basin, and its sole outlet is the Truckee River, which continues on to discharge to Pyramid Lake. Because of the sensitivity of Truckee River water quality (involving two protected species, thecui-uisucker fishand theLahontan cutthroat trout), this drainage basin has been studied extensively. The primary investigations were stimulated by theU.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which funded the development of theDSSAMmodel toanalyze water qualitybelow Lake Tahoe.
Lake Tahoe never freezes.Since 1970, it has mixed to a depth of at least 1,300 ft (400 m) a total of six or seven times. Dissolved oxygen is relatively high from top to bottom. Analysis of the temperature records in Lake Tahoe has shown that the lake warmed (between 1969 and 2002) at an average rate of 0.027 °F (0.015 °C) per year. The warming is caused primarily by increasing air temperatures, and secondarily by increasing downward long-wave radiation. The warming trend is reducing the frequency of deep mixing in the lake and may have important effects onwater clarityand nutrient cycling.
Since the 1960s, the Lake's food web andzooplanktonpopulations have undergone major changes. In 1963–65,opossum shrimp(Mysis diluviana) were introduced to enhance the food supply for the introducedKokanee salmon(Oncorhynchus nerka).The shrimp began feeding on the lake'scladocerans(DaphniaandBosmina), and their populations virtually disappeared by 1971.The shrimp provide a food resource for salmon andtrout, but also compete with juvenile fish for zooplankton. Since the 1970s, the cladoceran populations have somewhat recovered, but not to former levels. Since 2006,goldfishhave been observed in the lake, where they have grown to "giant size". Aninvasive species, they may have descended from former pets which owners dumped, or when used as fishing bait.
In June 2007, theAngora Fireburned approximately 3,100 acres (1,300 ha) throughout theSouth Lake Tahoearea. While the impact of ash on the lake's ecosystem is predicted to be minimal, the impact of potential future erosion is not yet known.
Construction activities have resulted in a clouding of the lake's blue waters. Currently, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency is regulating construction along the shoreline(and has won twoFederal Supreme Court battles over recent decisions).These regulations are unpopular with many residents, especially those in the Tahoe Lakefront Homeowners Association.
The League to Save Lake Tahoe (Keep Tahoe Blue) has been an environmental watchdog in the Lake Tahoe Basin for 50 years.Founded when a proposal to build a four-lane highway around the lake—with a bridge over the entrance to Emerald Bay—was proposed in 1957, the League has opposed many development projects in the area, which it alleges were environmentally harmful. The League embraces responsible and diversified use of the Lake's resources while protecting and restoring its natural attributes.
Since 1980, the Lake Tahoe Interagency Monitoring Program (LTIMP) has been measuring stream discharge and concentrations of nutrients and sediment in up to 10 tributary streams in the Lake Tahoe Basin, California-Nevada. The objectives of the LTIMP are to acquire and disseminate the water quality information necessary to support science-based environmental planning and decision making in the basin. The LTIMP is a cooperative program with support from 12 federal and state agencies with interests in the Tahoe Basin. This data set, together with more recently acquired data onurban runoffwater quality, is being used by the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board to develop a program (mandated by the Clean Water Act) to limit the flux of nutrients and fine sediment to the Lake.
Microplasticswere found for the first time in 2019 by theDesert Research Institute. This pollution in the water could be local or from locations around the world as particles from discarded plastic products can be transported long distances through the atmosphere by wind, rain and falling snow.In 2023, updated measurements of microplastics in the lake revealed that Lake Tahoe contained some of the highest microplastic pollution concentrations found among 38 lakes and reservoirs measured.Restoring the Lake Depths Foundation uses a BlueROV2 to survey the bottom of Lake Tahoe in an organized grid pattern to remove microplastics and trash.
The UC DavisTahoe Environmental Research Centeris dedicated to research, education and public outreach, and to providing objective scientific information for restoration and sustainable use of the Lake Tahoe Basin.Each year, it produces a "State of the Lake" report, assessing changes such as lake clarity, nutrients and particles, or meteorology around the lake.
Much of the area surrounding Lake Tahoe is devoted to the tourism industry and there are many restaurants,ski slopes,golf coursesandcasinoscatering to visitors.The Nevada side of Tahoe provides additional tourist amenities due to Nevada'slegal gambling, lower regulatory environment and tax burden than California.Nevada also had fewer restrictions than California during theCOVID-19 Pandemicwhich resulted in California hotels suffering economically while the Nevada casinos were described as "living large".
Duringskiseason, thousands of people from all over Nevada and California, includingReno,Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, andSacramento, flock to the slopes fordownhill skiing. Lake Tahoe, in addition to its panoramic beauty, is well known for itsblizzards.
Lake Tahoe is home to 15 ski areasand some of the major ski areas include:
The majority of the ski resorts in the Lake Tahoe region are on the northern end of the lake, nearTruckee, Californiaand Reno, Nevada. Kirkwood, Sierra-at-Tahoe and Heavenly are located on the southern side of the lake, 55–75 miles (90–120 km) from Reno.
Scattered throughout Tahoe are public and privatesledparks. Some, such as Granlibakken are equipped withrope towsto help sledders get up the hill.
Many ski areas around Tahoe also havesnow tubing, such as Olympic Valley. Throughout Tahoe,cross-country skiing,snowmobileriding andsnowshoeingare also popular.
The NHL hosted2 outdoor gamesat Lake Tahoe in 2021.
During late Spring to early Fall, the lake is popular forwater sportsand beach activities. The two cities most identified with the Lake Tahoe tourist area are South Lake Tahoe, California and the smaller Stateline; smaller centers on the northern shoreline include Tahoe City andKings Beach.
Other popular activities include parasailing, jet ski rentals, eco-friendly paddle sport rentals and fishing.There are rental locations around Lake Tahoe. Kayaking and stand-up paddle boards have also become very popular.
Boating is a primary activity in Tahoe in the summer. The lake is home to one of the most prestigious wooden boat shows in the country, theLake Tahoe Concours d'Elegance, held every August. There are lake front restaurants all over the lake, most equipped withdocksandbuoys. There are all sorts of boating events, such as sailboat racing, firework shows over the lake, guided cruises, and more. As aninterstatewaterway, Lake Tahoe is subject to theUnited States Coast Guard. Lake Tahoe is home to Coast Guard Station Lake Tahoe.
SCUBA divingis popular at Lake Tahoe, with some dive sites offering dramatic drop-offs or wall dives. Diving at Lake Tahoe is considered advanced due to the increased risk ofdecompression sickness(DCS) whiledivingat such a high altitude.
Fred Rogers became the first person to swim the length of Lake Tahoe in 1955, and Erline Christopherson became the first woman to do so in 1962.
The lake and its scenic environs provide many opportunities for motorcyclists to ride both on and off-road. The most popular circuit that goes around the lake runs clockwise and starts inSouth Lake Tahoeon the California side.Riding north via route 89 allows riders to pull over to the right to admire the views without crossing traffic. Continuing onto highway 28 East, and finally, onto US-50 West will complete the full tour. Doing it in reverse allows experiencing the views from a different perspective.Kingsbury Grade(highway 207) is another popular route with local motorcyclists. It is only 11 miles long from South Lake Tahoe toMottsvilleand can also be ridden in both directions. Some of the most scenic motorcycling stops and views around the lake:
There are numerous hiking and mountain biking trails around the lake. They range widely in length, difficulty and popularity. One of the most famous of Tahoe's trails is theTahoe Rim Trail, a 165-mile (270-km) trail that circumnavigates the lake. Directly to the west of the lake is theGranite Chief Wilderness, which provides great hiking and wilderness camping. Also, to the southwest is the very popularDesolation Wilderness. One of the most popular trailheads used to access these popular destinations isEagle Lake trailhead, located nearEmerald Bayon Tahoe's west shore. The Flume Trail of the east shore is one of Mountain Biking Magazine's Top 10 Trails in the U.S. There are also many paved off-road bicycle paths that meander through communities on all sides of the lake.
Gambling is legal on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe. Casinos, each with a variety ofslot machinesandtable gamesare available. Four are located on the South Shore inStateline, and four on the North Shore; three inCrystal Bayand one inIncline Village.
When Nevada legalized gambling in 1931, the first casino at the lake had already been open for years. First built on the North Shore in Crystal Bay by Robert Sherman in 1926,theCal-NevaLodge became the property of Norman Henry Biltz and was sold to Bill Graham and Jim McKay in 1929.
The Cal-Neva was rebuilt after a fire in 1937 and expanded several times, most noticeably in 1969 when the high-rise hotel was built. Along the way,Frank Sinatraowned the property in the early 1960s, shared his cabins with the likes ofSam GiancanaandMarilyn Monroe, and sold out at the height of the area's popularity.
Other casinos at the North Shore include the Crystal Bay Club, first built in 1937 as the Ta-Neva-Ho; the defunctTahoe Biltmore, and the Nugget. The Hyatt Regency is found at Incline Village.
At South Shore,Bill Harrahpurchased the Stateline Country Club, which had stood since 1931 and builtHarrah's Tahoe. Other casinos includeHard Rock Hotel and Casino Lake Tahoe,Harveys Lake Tahoe, andBally's Lake Tahoe.
Lake Tahoe can be reached directly by car and bus, and indirectly by train or air. The nearest passenger train service is theAmtrak station in Truckee, and is served by Amtrak's train, theCalifornia Zephyr, which runs daily betweenChicagoand theSan Francisco Bay Area. AnAmtrak Thruwaybus also connects South Lake Tahoe to theCapitol CorridorinSacramento. The closest scheduled passenger airline service is available via theReno-Tahoe International Airport(RNO).
TheTahoe Transportation Districtprovides fare-free local mass transit in and around South Lake Tahoe and connects the basin to theCarson ValleyandCarson City, andTahoe Truckee Area Regional Transit (TART)serves the north and northwest shores of the lake, also connecting to Truckee and Amtrak.
Visitors can reach Lake Tahoe under ideal conditions within two hours from the Sacramento area, one hour from Reno or thirty minutes from Carson City. In winter months, chains or snow tires are often necessary to reach Tahoe from any direction. Traffic can be heavy on weekends due to tourists if not also from weather.
The primary routes to Lake Tahoe are onInterstate 80via Truckee,U.S. Route 50, andNevada State Route 431via Reno. Most of the highways accessing and encircling Lake Tahoe are paved two-lane mountain roads. US 50 is a four-lane highway (from the canyon of the South Fork American River at Riverton, over the Sierra Nevada at Echo Summit, and into the Lake Tahoe Basin, is a mainly two-lane road) passing south of the lake and along part of the eastern shore.
California State Route 89follows the western shore of the lake through the picturesque wilderness and connects camping, fishing and hiking locations such as those at Emerald Bay State Park,DL Bliss State ParkandCamp Richardson. Farther along are communities such asMeeks Bayand Tahoe City. Finally, the highway turns away from the lake and heads northwest toward Truckee.
California State Route 28completes the circuit from Tahoe City around the northern shore to communities such as Kings Beach, Crystal Bay, and into Incline Village, Nevada where the road becomesNevada State Route 28. Route 28 returns along the eastern shore to US 50 near Spooner Lake.
Placer County
El Dorado County
Douglas County
Washoe County
Lake Tahoe is home to various legends that have been passed down through local Native American traditions and other sources. These include stories about Water Babies, the Ong, Tahoe Tessie, and the Ghosts of Fannette Island.
In Washoe tradition, Water Babies are powerful spirits believed to inhabit bodies of water including those of Lake Tahoe. They were thought to have the ability to cause harm or even death. Washoe healers would visit sacred places, such as Cave Rock, to consult with the Water Babies, bringing offerings in the hope of gaining their favor and strength.
The Ong is a figure from Washoe legend, described as a large bird that lived in Lake Tahoe. It was said to prey on animals and humans. One legend recounts that a young man named Tahoe was captured by the Ong but managed to escape by feeding it poisoned arrowheads. The bird was believed to have died and sunk into the lake.
Tahoe Tessie is a reported creature said to live in Lake Tahoe. Descriptions of Tessie resemble those of other lake monsters, such as the Loch Ness Monster, with many believing it to be a large aquatic animal, potentially a sturgeon.
Fannette Island in Emerald Bay is purportedly haunted by the ghost of Captain Richard Barter, a man who lived on the island in the late 1800s. He died while returning to the island in 1873, and some local stories claim that his ghost can be seen wandering the island.
ThePonderosa Ranchof the TV seriesBonanzawas formerly located on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe.The opening sequence of the TV series was filmed at the McFaul Creek Meadow, withMount Tallacin the background. In September 2004 the Ponderosa Ranch closed its doors, after being sold to developer David Duffield for an undisclosed price.
The 1974 filmThe Godfather Part IIused the lakeside estate Fleur de Lac as the location of several scenes, including the elaborate First Communion celebration, the Senator's shakedown attempt of Michael, the assassination attempt on Michael, Michael disowning Fredo, Carmela Corleone's funeral, Fredo's execution while fishing, and the closing scene of Michael sitting alone outside. Fleur de Lac, on the western California shore of Lake Tahoe, was formerly theHenry Kaiserestate. The surrounding lakeside area has been developed into a private gated condominium community and some of the buildings of the "Corleone compound" still exist, including the boathouse.
The 2014 filmLast Weekend, starringPatricia Clarksonand directed byTom Dolbyand Tom Williams, used the west shore lakefront home ofRayandDagmar Dolbyas the primary location for its interiors and exteriors. The house, built in 1929, was also the site for the exteriors forA Place in the Sun, starringElizabeth TaylorandMontgomery Clift.The 1988 filmThings Changewas also filmed here.
British rock bandA's song "Here We Go Again (I Love Lake Tahoe)" and the accompanying music video centers around the band's love for the lake and the surrounding holiday locations.
The lake is mentioned in the lyrics to the song "Unfair" by cult indie rock bandPavement.
The lake is the setting forKate Bush's song of the same name from the album50 Words for Snow. In the song, a woman who drowned in the lake is reunited with her beloved dog in the afterlife.The song was accompanied by a video written and directed by Bush.