Hundreds of pounds of litter, including a 'creepy crate' pulled from Marlette Lake
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Wed, 10/30/2024 - 3:54pm
Travel North Tahoe Nevada partnered with Tahoe-based nonprofit Clean Up The Lake for an extensive cleanup of Marlette Lake last week.
With Halloween just around the corner Thursday, we thought we would lead off with our discoveries of claws and creepy crates during the Oct. 24-25 dives. Of course the claws were none other than the notorious signal crayfish, a delicious tasting form of aquatic invasive species that has found its way into Lake Tahoe and many other lakes in the basin, including Marlette Lake.
The creepy crate however, was an "unknown item" — one that was sealed shut and unable to be opened. It had knots and holes in the wood and appeared to be older. What are the contents of this wooden crate, you may ask. We do not know. It could be empty, it could be someone's belongings or something slightly more sinister? Your guess on this Halloween holiday is as good as ours.
Our team has taken photo, video, and GPS locations of this crate and other unique and unknown items and already began reporting to the state to determine if it's litter or in need of further inspection by archeologists.
Overall the project was a massive success. Andy Chapman, president and CEO of Travel North Tahoe Nevada said “As Tahoe becomes an ever more popular destination, visitors will begin exploring other outdoor recreation areas near our shores.”
Chapman continues by saying “Conducting extensive lake cleanups in popular outdoor areas in tandem with increased stewardship education in the community will lead to a more sustainable area for both locals and visitors to enjoy.”
Clean Up The Lake conducted the cleanup and aquatic invasive species surveillance project with both professional and volunteer SCUBA divers and free divers. Visitors to the region joined as volunteers from both Reno and San Francisco to support in positions such as snorkeling, kayaking and paddleboarding.
The team of volunteers acted together to perform cleanup, run surveys for aquatic invasive species, record data and GPS locations of heavy lift litter items and unknown objects, ensure safety of their fellow team members and promote stewardship and environmental responsibility to everyone who passed by them on the Flume Trail.
"I am always excited when our organization is able to bring our efforts to another lake in need, especially when it's within the Tahoe basin ,” said Colin West, founder and CEO of Clean Up The Lake. “Our team is excited to partner with and receive funding from Travel North Tahoe Nevada to keep our waters pristine and enjoyable for locals and visitors for years to come.”
The CUTL team is still performing the official data analysis on their findings. Yet in total, the team pulled hundreds of pounds of litter from beneath the surface of Marlette Lake, documented both heavy lift litter items, and unknown items that may or may not have historical significance. Finally, divers saw only native plants and no concerning aquatic invasive plant species during their dives, yet they did notice the notorious signal crayfish in the waters of Marlette Lake.
Travel North Tahoe Nevada is dedicating approximately $200,000 a year, 10% of its total annual revenue, to stewardship programs. This includes supporting efforts with Clean Up The Lake, as well as further investment in transportation enhancements and trail snow removal among other stewardship efforts.
To learn more about Travel North Tahoe Nevada and its stewardship initiatives in North Lake Tahoe, visit www.travelnorthtahoenevada.com. To support Clean Up The Lake and future water cleanup efforts, visit www.cleanupthelake.org.
