DONNER LAKE
Clean Up The Lake dive teams finished their first ever circumnavigated clean up at Donner Lake in September 2020. Our dive teams cleaned all 8 miles, cleaning out 5,151.5 pounds of submerged litter from Donner Lake.
Total Trash Collected
18,593.85 LBS
TOTAL TRASH WEIGHT COLLECTED (2018 - Present)
18,160.85 LBS
TOTAL TRASH WEIGHT COLLECTED
(UNDER SURFACE)
433 LBS
TOTAL TRASH WEIGHT COLLECTED
(ABOVE SURFACE)
Trash below the surface
TIRES
Between Donner Lake and Lake Tahoe, CUTL dive teams pulled out over 106 tires from Donner Lake and Lake Tahoe over the summer of 2020.
ALUMINUM CANS
During one of our cleanups of Lake Tahoe our dive teams pulled out 990 aluminum cans in one day. We have identified hot spot areas where currents and winds may be contributing to the centralized accumulation of these items in Lake Tahoe and Donner Lake. As a result of our summer 2020 survey dives we removed over 3,167 cans from these two lakes.
2020 LAKE TAHOE SIX MILE CLEAN UP
Results of the 2020 Lake Tahoe SCUBA-Enabled Litter Cleanup Dives
Identification of Macroplastics Subject to Degradation in Lake Tahoe, Nevada
This study was performed by University of Reno chemistry major, Julia Davidson. In collaboration with CUTL and DRI, Julia is studying the types of plastic trash collected by Clean Up the Lake. Her preliminary research shows that the plastic trash is primarily made up of polystyrene, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, and polyamide. Julia’s research can help us to better understand the source of the plastic trash. Additionally, Julia’s research is important as the plastic trash may break down and form smaller pieces of plastics, called microplastics. These microplastics have a negative impact on the local environment.
Mission
Our mission is to fight back against plastic and all forms of pollution in our global environment, both on land and under the surface, starting with Lake Tahoe and the Cayes in Belize.
79,929.58
Raised to date
70,122.45
2020 Fiscal Budget to Date
CLEAN UP THE LAKE ANNUAL ACHIEVEMENTS
2018
- 501(C)3 NPO ACHIEVED: July 6th, 2018 legally titled “Clean Up The Cayes”
- STATE INCORPORATION: Charity registrations in WA and CA states achieved.
- GROUND CLEAN UPS: 2x Clean Ups in Kings Beach, 1 x Belize Test Clean Ups
- INTERNATIONAL WORK: Research trip to Belize taken in order to begin staging future operations & network in the community
2019
- NV STATE INCORPORATION: registered & approved in Nevada as a charity.
- SURVEY CLEAN UPS: Five survey dives in June through September 2019, researching the submerged litter issue in Lake Tahoe
- FIRST LARGE CLEAN UP EVENT: Volunteer divers removed 311 LBS near Secret Beach, confirming the underwater trash issue in Lake Tahoe.
- 72 MILE CLEAN UP ANNOUNCED: We announced to the world our intentions to complete the 72 mile clean up of Lake Tahoe.
2020
- 6 MILES OF LAKE TAHOE SCUBA CLEAN UP: Funded by NV Division of State Lands & NV Department of Environmental Protection & the EPA, Clean Up The Lake Dive teams removed 2,238 LBS of trash from NV’s most popular shorelines of Lake Tahoe.
- CLEAN UP BINGO: Dozens of families and volunteers came together during COVID 19 for a safe, socially distanced clean up program that spread far and wide on social media to the press, including giveaways incentivizing them to clean from Lake Tahoe to rural Nevada.
- DONNER LAKE CLEAN UP: Our first ever circumnavigated clean up occurred at Donner Lake this summer, accomplishing all 8 miles of shoreline and removing 5,151.5 LBS of submerged litter.
- CLEAN UP STRATEGY: A summer of testing our approach to CLEAN UPS resulted in a tried and proven strategy for underwater SCUBA clean ups & surface support teams
- DIVER TRAINING: Key personnel within the organization advanced through Open Water Diver, Advanced Open Water Diver, Rescue Diver, Emergency Oxygen & Emergency First Responder Training programs with PADI.
- 72 MILE CAMPAIGN: We partnered with Tahoe Blue Vodka & Tahoe Fund to raise the majority of the funding needed for 2021’s 72 mile clean up.
2021 GOALS BY YEARS END
- 72 MILE CLEAN UP: Complete Lake Tahoe 0-25 feet zone of clean up all around the lake.
- CITIZEN SCIENCE PROGRAM: Launch our own assets for citizen science and trash reporting. The backend is completed, partnership in progress, our announcement is coming soon!
- AQUIRE CUTL VESSEL: Planning on getting our own CUTL boat for the 72 mile clean up and further work.
- WHITE PAPER ON SCUBA CLEAN UP: a white paper/research and information to be released about our submerged litter findings on the 6 mile clean up of Lake Tahoe.
- GPS HOT SPOT LOCATIONS: By the end of the year we hope to announce publicly the GPS locations of hot spots for trash under the surface of Lake Tahoe so other divers can remove trash & make a difference.
- + Other Announcements Yet to be Made Public!