Lake Tahoe beach cleanup Friday net 1,875 pounds of trash, 5,458 cigarette butts
More than 300 volunteers stepped up to clean up Lake Tahoe beaches the day after the July 4 celebration, collecting more than 1,875 pounds of litter that would have otherwise harmed the lake's fragile ecosystem.
The annual Keep Tahoe Red, White and Blue Beach Cleanup on July 5 was organized by the League to Save Lake Tahoe, also known as Keep Tahoe Blue. The League advised that single-use plastics were the most common item of trash found, including 5,458 cigarette butts and 8,791 pieces of plastic, which includes cups, lids, bottle caps and straws.
Most plastics do not biodegrade but instead break down into smaller and smaller pieces that may release toxins or harm wildlife and remain in Lake Tahoe for thousands years, the League notes.
“The fact that so many people devoted part of the long holiday to help Keep Tahoe Blue says a lot about their love for this place,” said Marilee Movius, the League’s community engagement manager. “We’re grateful to the hundreds of visitors and community members who gave their time to take care of Lake Tahoe’s shoreline.”
Cleanup participants gathered at five beaches around Lake Tahoe, and together removed litter from 10 miles of shoreline, including Commons Beach in Tahoe City, Kings Beach, Kiva Beach and Tallac Historic Site, Nevada Beach, Zephyr Cove and Zephyr Shoals and Regan Beach in South Lake Tahoe. Volunteers sorted and counted the items collected.
“While it’s discouraging to see so much litter on the shoreline, the data our volunteers have gathered are helping to drive advocacy for solutions to the environmental challenges at Tahoe,” said Jesse Patterson, the League’s chief strategy officer.
Earlier this summer, the League partnered with the Tahoe Water Suppliers Association to launch a cigarette disposal canister program lake-wide. 250 canisters adorned with creative educational messaging are being installed at “hotspot” locations around the Lake over the course of this summer.
These “hotspots” were identified through the previous five years of beach cleanup data gathered by Keep Tahoe Blue volunteers who removed over 90,000 cigarette butts from Tahoe’s shoreline.
The League partnered with the following agencies and organizations for the cleanup. They include California Land Management, California State Parks, the City of South Lake Tahoe, the Tahoe City Public Utility District, and the United States Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. Our cleanups are made possible by the support of our cleanup site sponsors, local Tahoe businesses: Heavenly Mountain Resort, Northstar-California, Montbleu Resort and Casino, Zephyr Cove Resort, Trunk Show and RnR Vacation Rentals. Cleanup equipment donations from Clean Tahoe Program, Evolution Bags and South Tahoe Refuse.
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