Tahoe’s trash problem: Be the Solution

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TAHOE’S TRASH PROBLEM: Be the Solution

STORY BY PRIYA HUTNER

Trash, trash, trash. It’s everywhere. On a walk in the woods, a bike ride on the trail, a day at the beach, it doesn’t matter where I go, garbage abounds. Empty beer cans, food wrappers, plastic bags, dog poops bags, dirty diapers, cigarette butts are all there to pick up. And it seems no amount of signage about picking up trash appears to be working. Tahoe’s high-tra cked areas are getting trashed.

Apparently, the old adage, it takes a village, applies because it will take all of us to keep Tahoe trash free and our environment pristine. Countless organizations are working tirelessly to keep Tahoe clean, keep Tahoe blue and mitigate the issues of litter, illegal dumping, microplastics and the many environmental challenges that the region faces. With 15 million visitors annually to the Tahoe region, the impact on the environment is great. While many people understand that it is

Beach clean up with League to Save Lake Tahoe | Courtesy Erica Mertens

How many photos do we see of Dumpsters that are overfl owing or littered with garbage at the base of the receptacle after a busy weekend?

imperative to pick up garbage, not everyone is on board.

Social media continues to illuminate the trash issues we face in Tahoe. How many photos do we see of Dumpsters that are over owing or littered with garbage at the base of the receptacle after a busy weekend? Whether it’s because it’s full or because people are unwilling to pack it out —we have a problem.

Erica Mertens is the Recycling Programs manager for Town of Truckee. She oversees Truckee’s recycling e orts and spearheads Keep Truckee Green and Truckee Litter Corps. She’s knee deep in the garbage issue. e town has implemented several programs to address the trash issue and engage the public to participate and volunteer. Truckee Litter Corps volunteers meet on the rst Saturday of the month to pick up trash.

Downtown Truckee Merchants Association also hosts a monthly Wednesday clean-up in the summer. Numerous businesses participate in the Grab a Bag program. Participating businesses hand out garbage bags and gloves to people who would like to pick up garbage. Return the bag of trash to the shop for a token of appreciation at participating businesses.

“Businesses have a sign in their window. is is a fun way people can give back with an incentive and small token of appreciation. Cornerstone Bakery gives out a free cookie, while other businesses o er discounts and other incentives. We want

Wildlife rummaged through trash that was put out unsecured in Tahoe Donner. | Courtesy Truckee Tahoe Litter Group

to instill a culture of taking care of our natural environment,” says Mertens.

Town of Truckee is one of many partners working with the Take Care Tahoe organization that is implementing the Trailhead Ambassadors program throughout the region. e trained ambassadors will be posted at di erent high-tra c trailheads to educate and inspire people to be good stewards of the environment. is past June, 900 people volunteered to pick up garbage during the annual Truckee Day, which was on June 5.

“People are aware of the tension that exists and was exacerbated last year due to the pandemic. We want to help change the narrative and have open conversations,” says Mertens.

She explains that another new change for the summer will be compacting trash cans strategically placed along Donner Lake to alleviate garbage over ows.

WHY DOES IT MATTER?

Studies show litter begets litter and trash is harmful to the ecosystem. It causes increased bacteria, leaches chemicals into the watershed and the ground, increases microplastic in the water, clogs storm drains and pollutes the environment — all while endangering and killing wildlife. e most extensive litter in the region are cigarette butts, disposable plastics and food wrappers that never biodegrade.

Grab a bag, pick up trash and be part of the solution. Volunteer to help keep Tahoe clean.

HOW CAN YOU HELP? VOLUNTEER.

Take Care Tahoe is a collective group of more than 50 organizations working to help nurture a culture of sustainability. e organization helps connect people with resources, information, education and volunteer opportunities. ere are numerous beach cleanups, lake cleanups and trail cleanups throughout the summer. In addition, there are opportunities to help scientists study microplastics and other issues a ecting Lake Tahoe. e League to Save Lake Tahoe, also known as Keep Tahoe Blue, has numerous opportunities for volunteers. Be a Tahoe Blue Gooder and pick up trash; join or start a Tahoe Blue Crew and adopt an area to keep clean. Take action to remove litter from the Lake Tahoe community

or volunteer to be a Pipe Keeper. League experts train community members to assess and monitor the condition of stormwater infrastructure and collect stormwater samples for turbidity analysis during the rst big storm of the year and during signi cant snowmelt events. Volunteer e orts help the league sta locate and address pipes dumping high sediment levels into Lake Tahoe. e League is also looking for volunteers for its annual Keep Tahoe Red, White and Blue Beach Cleanup from July 5. is is one of the most extensive post-holiday cleanup events in the region.

“Since 2013, Keep Tahoe Blue has organized hundreds of community litter cleanups around the Basin. It’s been nothing short of inspiring to see thousands of people take time out of their vacations and down time to protect the Lake from human impacts,” said Jesse Patterson, communications manager for the League to Save Lake Tahoe, in an email to Tahoe Weekly. “ at’s the #TahoeBlueGooder spirit we want everyone to adopt. Whether you were born and raised here or are visiting for the rst time, you have a role to play to Keep Tahoe Blue.” e California Department of Parks and Recreation o ers a program to encourage children to help clean up the parks. Tell

Find more RESOURCES TO VOLUNTEER & REPORT LITTER and read more of our litter coverage.

CLICK ON “TAHOE’S TRASH PROBLEMS”

UNDER THE GET OUTSIDE MENU.

a park employee at the entrance station or visitors’ center that your child wants to participate in Litter Getters. Young people receive a Litter Getter activity folder that contains instructions on how to pick up litter in the park. Bring a bag or get a bag from the park ranger when you enter the park. Most parks also give out plastic gloves for extra protection. When kids turn in their rst bag of litter, they receive six-state animal and plant stickers for their activity folder.

UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center wants to get the community involved with its Citizen Science Tahoe project. Using the Citizen Science app, users collect information on water quality, algae growth and microplastics data.

Take a deep dive with Clean Up the

286 lbs. of trash were pulled from Nevada Beach in 2020. | Courtesy Clean Up the Lake

Lake, a nonpro t organization whose mission is to ght plastic pollution in and around the Lake Tahoe Basin. ey are in the process of a 72-mile cleanup of Lake Tahoe with volunteer opportunities. ey are looking for volunteers for many tasks including divers and those with kayaks and personal watercraft to help.

Clean Tahoe of South Lake Tahoe is another organization at the forefront of keeping Tahoe litter free. ey organize neighborhood and bike trail cleanups. eir mantra is: “become a part of our neighborhood clean team to keep South Lake Tahoe clean, pristine and litter free.” ey need volunteers for the Clean Tahoe Program. 

VOLUNTEER

CA State Parks Litter Getters | kids.parks.ca.gov

Citizen Science app | tahoe.ucdavis.edu

Clean Tahoe | clean-tahoe.org

Clean Up the Lake | cleanupthelake.org

Keep Tahoe Blue & Pipe Keepers | keeptahoeblue.org

Take Care Tahoe | takecaretahoe.org

Teens 4 Tahoe club | tahoefund.org

Truckee Litter Corps & Grab a Bag | keeptruckeegreen.org

Keep Tahoe Red, White and Blue Beach Cleanup July 5 | Lake Tahoe venues keeptahoeblue.org

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