Employee of the Quarter

Never allow children or pets to venture onto the ice In the event they fall through the ice, there is a high probability of injury or death. TKPOA rules pertaining to pets and City of South Lake Tahoe Animal Control Codes do not allow an unleased pet to run or play on the ice.

Recognize that ice will never be completely safe Conditions, and unseen or unknown factors, can render seemingly safe ice suddenly dangerous. Take all care and precautions to avoid mishaps and make sure you have a rescue plan in place, i.e.; throw able floatation device with an attached rope, for those who live on the water. Having a safety plan in place, should you see an ice incident, can save lives.

Understand that ice strength is not the same everywhere, not even on the same body of water It is difficult to judge the strength of ice based on appearance alone. Other factors including snow cover, currents, bubblers to prevent ice around boats, distribution of the load on the ice, schools of fish, and other factors affect the thickness and safety.

Find an alternative to playing on the lagoons Skaters can go to Heavenly Village Ice Rink (530) 542-4230 or the South Tahoe Ice Arena (530) 544- 7465. There are many interesting trails in and near the Tahoe Keys for walking and snowshoeing. All people who venture out during winter should carry emergency supplies no matter how long they plan to be out or where they plan to go. Always make sure that someone knows where you are going and when you are expected to return.

Vacation Home Rental (VHR) Properties Please inform your renters that the ice within our community is unsafe. Renters and their families should refrain from walking on it for their own safety. Refrain from throwing rocks, trash and other items on the ice.

Laminar Flow Aeration (LFA) Project Area In the spring to 2019, the Water Quality Department introduced a new project in the TKPOA waterways. This project consists of 10 diffuser and over 8,000 feet of high pressure hose which covers approximately six acres of waterways operates nonstop throughout the year. One of the project goals is to have a continuous circulation of the water column. This will reduce the water’s ability to freeze and if it does freeze the ice will be thin and un-uniform which makes this area extremely dangerous. The LFA project is located in the waterways that are north of Venice Drive and between Christie Drive and Lucerne Way (refer to picture to the right).

The TKPOA WQ Staff has placed ice caution signs around the TKPOA Waterways to remind the members, renters and visitors about the threat that ice poses.

The City of South Lake Tahoe has already had one fatality due to falling through ice and drowning during the 2019–2020 winter season.