Waste Disposal and the Future at Lake Tahoe

The extraordinary clarity of Lake Tahoe is threatened by the buildup of nitrogen and other nutrients reaching the lake from community wastes produced in the Tahoe Basin. Although waste disposal is restricted to land (by infiltration or hillside spraying), some of the nutrients in the waste effluents reach the lake via underground flow, and the magnitude of this contribution already (1964) transcends that of natural sources. Growth of community and recreational activity in the Tahoe Basin has primarily occurred since World War II, and projections indicate that unless the pattern of waste disposal is changed, the nutrient buildup may produce onset of eutrophication. Alternative solutions include tertiary treatment to remove nutrients, discharge to the Truckee River Basin (the Truckee River is the lake's natural outlet), and export from the basin to areas outside the Truckee Basin.