Clean Up The Lake reports ‘extremely low litter’ and invasive species in Boca, Stampede Reservoirs
Submitted by Kelsey Penrose on Fri, 08/30/2024 - 1:00pm
Clean Up The Lake (CUTL) and The Martis Fund have successfully concluded a new pilot research initiative, yielding even more positive results than anticipated. After completing underwater Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) surveys and submerged litter cleanups in Stampede and Boca Reservoirs from June 26th to July 3rd, 2024, the organization is pleased to report extremely low litter loads and no concerning AIS infestations.
In total, the project involved eight survey dives, during which the volunteer dive team removed only 20.57 pounds of litter, comprising 100 individual items, while also assessing litter accumulation and distribution patterns across 1.76 miles of underwater terrain.
The 1.76 miles of subsurface shoreline surveyed by CUTL’s dive teams considered potential litter collection zones influenced by dams, human activity, and wind patterns—yet none of these factors resulted in significant litter accumulation.
AIS findings showed only the presence of signal crayfish, or the region's well-known 'crawdads.'
The team was happy to report that no observations indicated concerns about AIS infestations from plants commonly seen in Lake Tahoe and other water bodies.
Clean Up The Lake’s pilot research suggests that Stampede and Boca Reservoirs currently exhibit a low urgency for full circumnavigated underwater cleanups. However, the following points were deemed important for the public and other agencies to consider:
1. Additional submerged litter surveys are recommended in the next 3-5 years at both reservoirs.
2. Due to the regional threat of AIS, annual AIS surveys should continue to help prevent their spread in highly trafficked locations of these water bodies.
3. Continued education for non-motorized users to Clean, Drain, and Dry their equipment is vital in preventing the spread of AIS, as is inspection programs for motorized vessels.
4. Users of both reservoirs and other agencies should continue performing low-water-level beach cleanups. This may be a contributing factor to the cleaner condition of these reservoirs and will help prevent litter from degrading into these regional water sources.
"While these reservoirs were mostly free of heavy litter, other areas like Fallen Leaf Lake have not been as fortunate,” said Clean Up The Lake Founder & CEO Colin West. “With 3,000 pounds of litter per mile in lakes like Fallen Leaf, compared to roughly 20 pounds per mile in these reservoirs, it shows that we never truly know what lies beneath the surface of our lakes. That's why these pilot research projects are crucial for the region."
West also expressed gratitude for the group supporting this work.
“While we’ve collaborated with The Martis Fund on Lake Tahoe and Donner Lake, it’s great to work with partners concerned about other water bodies in our backyard.”
