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 Monitoring

Lake Tahoe, CA

Project Year:2023 Lake Tahoe

Project Goals

EXPLORATION OF SUBMERGED LITTER AT DEEPER DEPTHS

This was our second official exploration of litter at deeper depths under the surface of Lake Tahoe (+/-70 feet and +/-45 feet) and removing submerged litter found there while analyzing the litter accumulation trends in these areas.

MONITORING & CLEANING 10 CALIFORNIA HOT SPOTS

Our team did remediation and monitoring of litter accumulation patterns and behaviors at ten of the most litter hot spots along the California shoreline identified during the 72-mile cleanup. These hot spots were selected by analyzing the data collected & choosing the most littered zones near GPS-located diver-identified hot spots.

DATA COLLECTION & COMPARISON OVER YEARS

We worked closely with our environmental scientist staff to compare and analyze trends in litter accumulation rates, transport, collection, and more to better understand the submerged litter issues in Lake Tahoe.

Supporting Partners

More Lake Tahoe Projects

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Lake Tahoe Litter Summit

Project Years:Annual

In 2024, Clean Up The Lake hosted the 2nd Annual Lake Tahoe Litter Summit, uniting 50+ leaders to tackle litter issues, form new committees, and drive solutions.

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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.

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