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Projects

At Clean Up the Lake 501(c)3, we lead both terrestrial and underwater cleanup efforts, collecting critical data to support scientific research and policy development while also running surveillance for aquatic invasive species and reporting observations on algal-blooms for future monitoring. Comprehensive assessments of completed projects are available below, offering detailed insights into our ongoing environmental impact and often providing recommendations for next steps for submerged litter management and aquatic invasive species management.

Lake Tahoe Litter Summit

Lake Tahoe, CA-NV

Lake-Tahoe-Litter-Summit

Project Goals

In 2023 and 2024 we held our Annual Lake Tahoe Litter Summit at the Thunderbird Lodge on the East Shore of Nevada. Each year we rally over 50 individuals from non profits and local agencies including federal, state and local government officials and concerned individuals to address what is being done around Lake Tahoe successfully, what is not being done, and develop ideas for new solutions. Clean Up The Lake pushed for the development of two new committees including a Data Unification Committee which has already met once in 2024 and began aggregating all litter data to one area, and an action committee. Attendees felt the action committee should work with the Destination Stewardship Council and now Clean Up The Lake’s founder is co-chairing the new “Litter Action Committee” for the Destination Stewardship Council to help take action on litter issues present in the Tahoe region.

Supporting Partners

Travel North Tahoe NV
Lake Tahoe Community College
Drink Tahoe Tap
Visit Lake Tahoe
Thunderbird Lodge

More Lake Tahoe Projects

72-Mile-(squared-symbol)

72 Mile Cleanup²

Project Year: 2025

Clean Up The Lake’s 72 Mile² deep clean project of Lake Tahoe will tackle 35-55 ft depths of Lake Tahoe using advanced technology such as Diver Propulsion Vehicles and Nitrox Gas.

Lake-Tahoe-Deep-Clean-Pilot

Lake Tahoe Deep Clean Pilot

Project Year: 2025

Our organization and its volunteer dive team will be going deeper in Lake Tahoe to clean up litter found during deep dive surveys performed in 2022-2023.

Media Productions

Make A Difference Creative

Project Years:Annual

Make A Difference Creative creates impactful environmental content that helps protect our environment both above and below the surface. Stay tuned for a feature documentary & a new web series releasing in 2025.

Couch in the lake

Heavy Lift Litter Removal

Project Year: 2025

Clean Up The Lake plans to remove 722 heavy lift litter items from Lake Tahoe's lakebed, with planning set for 2025 and cleanup launching in 2026.

Clean Up The Lake, Lake Mary, Mammoth Lakes, July 2024

LEAP Program

Project Years:Annual

LEAP educates over 2,074 students on submerged litter and invasive species, with tailored lesson plans for all ages, thanks to partners like Pay It Forward Project.

TRPA_Boating_Safety_Campaign

Tahoe Boating Safety Campaign

Project Year: 2024

Clean Up The Lake's Make A Difference Media program is creating a comedy-series of boating safety videos for Lake Tahoe in partnership with TRPA, releasing in spring 2025.

Tahoe-Keeper-Training-&-Video

Tahoe Keepers Training & Video

Project Year: 2024

Clean Up The Lake partnered with the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency to enhance Tahoe Keepers training with new in-person and digital content for concessionaire outreach.

LTMB

Lake Tahoe Buoyfield & Marina Cleanup

Project Year: 2024

The Lake Tahoe Buoyfield & Marina Cleanup targets concentrated litter areas missed during the 72-mile SCUBA cleanup, addressing buoyfields and marinas in need.

clean-up-the-lake-on-lake-tahoe

Lake Tahoe Monitoring

Project Year: 2023

We explored submerged litter at depths of 45-70 feet in Lake Tahoe, cleaned 10 hot spots along the California shoreline, and analyzed litter trends over time with our environmental scientist team.

divers-cleaning-up-a-portion-of-lake-tahoe

Lake Tahoe Monitoring – NV

Project Year: 2022

We explored submerged litter at deeper depths in Lake Tahoe (45-75 feet) and removed litter from 20 identified hot spots from the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe that were marked during the 72-mile cleanup.

72-mile-cleanup--heavy-lift-colin-luba

72 Mile Clean Up

Project Years:2021, 2022

The 72-mile cleanup, made possible by partners and donors, along with 136 dedicated volunteers, removed 25,281 lbs of submerged litter from Lake Tahoe.

scuba dive picking up trash in tahoe

Lake Tahoe Pilot Research

Project Year: 2020

In 2020, the Nevada Division of State Lands funded our cleanups at six locations along Lake Tahoe's NV shoreline and helped refine our litter collection, data procedures, and safety protocols.