Managing and maintaining Lake Tahoe´s extensive resources requires
coordination and collaboration among the many Federal, State, tribal,
and local entities– including business owners and resident groups
- within the Basin. To enable coordination among these numerous
entities, a “Work Group´ approach has been developed and implemented.
Work Groups are comprised of individuals from the relevant entities
and are formed to address a specific environmental resource issue.
This approach has proven to be very successful. For example, the
Motorized Watercraft Technical Committee was formed to address the
issue of boating-related pollution in the Lake. The group is comprised
of water quality experts from agencies and universities, and representatives
from the engine manufacturing industry. The group researched the
issue and recommended a ban on certain types of two-stroke engines
on Lake Tahoe. Preliminary data indicates a significant decrease
in fuel-based pollutants in the Lake after only one season of the
ban.
Following is a list of groups that have been or will be formed
to address Lake Tahoe Region environmental issues. This list
is dynamic and will be routinely updated as groups complete
their missions or objectives, and as new groups form in response
to identified needs.
Groups concerned with the biota
Biological Advisory Group
Mission Statement: The group shall be used to advise the
region´s biological resources management policy and research needs
through:
- Coordination and information sharing among
the region´s biologists.
- Defining and developing management strategies,
and prioritizing research and restoration needs.
Goals:
- Provide new avenues for coordination and improve
existing coordination efforts.
- Better exchange information/data amongst the
different Lake Tahoe agencies.
- Define and prioritize biological research,
management, and information needs.
- Establish professional relationships.
- Unify and organize a stance on different political
issues that may impact biological resources.
- Exchange information/knowledge of agency´s
policies, background, and positions on issues.
- Provide peer review of research, monitoring,
and management policy.
- Provide a unified voice for wildlife issues
that are scientifically based, not politically (or otherwise)
motivated.
- Provide a annual forum in which biological
research, monitoring, restoration projects, and management policy
can be presented to a cross section of resource managers, researchers,
policy makers, and public.
Contact(s): Shane Romsos, TRPA, (775) 588-4547, sromsos@trpa.org
Forest Health Consensus Group
Mission Statement: The mission of the Forest Health Consensus
Group is to recommend to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency changes
to the Regional Plan regarding the forest ecosystem. To accomplish
this the group will identify and define objectives and strategies
that educate and assist the decision-making bodies and the general
public on the current and long term dynamics of the Forest Ecosystem
by looking at the Tahoe Basin Forest Ecosystem as a whole.
Three central tasks of this group are:
- Define the desired future conditions of the
ecosystem.
- Develop an ecosystem management strategy that
provides guidance for attaining the desired future conditions
identified by the Consensus Group.
- Recommend an on-going system for monitoring
and evaluating the condition of the Forest ecosystem and the
long term effectiveness of the management strategies and adapting
them to new information and changing conditions.
Contact(s) Mary Powell, TRPA, (775) 588-4547, mpowell@trpa.org
Nevada Ecosystem Advisory Team
Objective Summary: To provide coordinated ecosystem-based
leadership among federal, state, and local organizations, with local
leadership and education, to enhance and sustain Nevada´s natural
and economic resources.
Objectives: Improve communication and coordination among
agencies to develop an ecosystem-based perspective for all activities.
Develop a strategy to empower local communities to enhance their
ecosystems. Streamline paperwork, reduce red tape and regulation,
and share resources for accomplishing the vision of the team.
Remarks: NEAT provides input and recommendations to NDEP
with regards to prioritization of 319 grant proposals statewide.
The group is not entirely focused on Tahoe. (The Water Quality Working
Group could provide this function in California by providing recommendations
to Lahontan.)
Lead Agency: NDEP/EPA
Contact(s) Kathy Sertic, NDEP, 775-687-4670, ksertic@ndep.carson-city.nv.us
Stephanie Wilson, EPA, R9, (775) 887-7528,
Status: inactive in ´99, plans to re-activate
Calendar: no meetings planned at this time
Groups concerned with water quality
Water Quality Working Group
Mission Statement: As partners working together to address
relevant water quality issues, The Lake Tahoe Water Quality Working
Group has been formed to foster coordination, communication, unified
direction, and appropriate decision making within and between agencies,
and to use limited resources in a cost-effective manner for the
purposes of protecting, enhancing, and restoring identified water
quality values in the Lake Tahoe Region.
Objectives: The goals of the mission statement articulated
above will be fulfilled by striving to foster collaborative efforts
and by achievement of the following objectives:
- 1. The Group will improve communication between
water quality program members with regards to water quality
activities and programs (what, when, where, how?) to insure
that members remain informed, and understand these activities
and programs, and their limitations.
- 2. The Group will provide a place and/or opportunity
to be trained, to share and learn the technical
and research aspects of water quality.
- 3. The Group will coordinate, mobilize, and share
technical data and other information collected which
is related to water quality research, programs, projects,
and activities.
- 4. The Group will coordinate agency work programs,
and identify issues and needs.
- 5. The Group will insure coordination by organizing
the group into subgroups for the most efficient and effective
use of time.
- 6. The Group will define financing needs, and
identify current budget or capital that is committed and
available for projects; and the Group will identify
opportunities to coordinate and combine program/project
funding and resources.
- 7. The Group will define research needs and
priorities.
- 8. The Group will evaluate existing water quality
monitoring programs, identify where gaps exist, and establish
additional monitoring and feedback tools towards improving
water quality research, programs, projects, and activities.
A project effectiveness and evaluation program will be
developed.
- 9. The Group will integrate water quality improvement
efforts in order to improve efficiency and results.
- 10. The Group will develop a consistent set of goals,
objectives, and procedures as it relates to public outreach,
research, monitoring, and project development.
- 11. The Group will improve outreach to and inclusion
of the general public through common strategies/efforts.
- 12. The Group will provide recommendations to policy
makers based upon a comprehensive review of the water
quality issue(s) related to the policy being considered.
- 13. The Group will improve the attainment of regulatory
goals and shape the development of improved regulations
or regulatory programs.
- 14. The Group will define and articulate issues, needs,
and priorities towards improvement of project BMP effectiveness,
design, planning, and implementation.
- 15. The Group will develop project priority criteria
and identify priority projects.
Subcommittees
Lake Tahoe Interagency Monitoring Program
(recently combined with the RAM)
Mission Statement: To develop integrated water quality research
and monitoring strategies to support regulatory, management, planning
and research activities in the Lake Tahoe Basin.
Objectives:
- Provide input and direction for coordination
of Basin monitoring and research programs. This will provide
continuity and minimize overlap and duplication of water quality
monitoring activities.
- Prioritize project water quality monitoring
and research needs.
- Provide monitoring and research information
to user groups in a timely and understandable manner.
- Assist monitoring and research community in
identifying demonstration projects that can be used to evaluate
the effectiveness of source control and water quality treatment
methods.
- Identify water quality baseline and current
conditions and long-term trends in Lake Tahoe, its tributaries
and groundwater.
- Assist agencies and groups in the coordination
and evaluation of water quality and restoration research and
monitoring efforts.
- Link monitoring and research efforts with project
planning, implementation, evaluation, and maintenance.
Remarks: Combined with the RAM under the LTIMP name.
Contact(s): Robert Erlich, LRWQCB, (530) 542-5400
Tim Rowe, USGS, (775) 887-7627, tgrowe@usgs.gov
Motorized Watercraft Technical Advisory
Group
Objectives: To focus research studies regarding the effects
of motorized watercraft on waters of the Lake Tahoe Region for purposes
of refining existing motorized watercraft policies established
in the Region.
Remarks: 1997 and 1998 studies completed
which concentrated on source, transport, and fate of common
fuel constituents. 1999 and 2000 studies to concentrate on
source, transport, fate, and ecotoxicology of polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons.
Lead Agency: TRPA
Contact(s): Jon Paul Kiel, 775-588-4547
Status: Active.
Calendar: Meets monthly. No routine meeting schedule
established.
Stream Environment Zone (SEZ) TAG
Objective: Provide for a long-term focus on SEZ restoration.
EPA wetland grant tasks are to: 1) Evaluate urban runoff treatment
relative to SEZs; 2) Review drafts of the watershed approach
to evaluation of SEZ restoration needs, and their prioritization.
It is not the intent to duplicate specific SEZ restoration
project TAGs, but to coordinate efforts with some of these
to reduce the meeting load.
Lead Agency: TRPA
Contact(s): Larry Benoit, 775-588-4547, lbenoit@trpa.org
Status: Active, working on ID of urban runoff treatment
issues relative to SEZs.
Calendar: Monthly meetings to be proposed.
Lake Tahoe Source Water Group
Objective Summary: To coordinate state SWAPPs and
incorporate source water protection measures into TRPA´s
208 plan.
Objectives: Because Lake Tahoe is a source of drinking
water for the basin, the USEPA has provided funding under
the Safe Drinking Water Act to TRPA to ensure protection of
public health. The Lake Tahoe Water Quality Management Plan,
also referred to as the 208 Plan, has served the region indirectly
towards the protection of drinking water sources for many
years. However, the 208 Plan is not focused on drinking water
quality concerns. Article I of the Tahoe Regional Planning
Compact requires the maintenance of public health values provided
by the Lake Tahoe Basin. Article V of the Compact states that
the regional plan shall provide for attaining and maintaining
Federal, State, and local water quality standards. This could
be construed to include drinking water standards.
The requirements of the Safe Drinking Water
Act are unclear where the development of source water assessment
and protection plans involve interstate source water areas.
The applicability of plans across state lines is undefined.
The Lake Tahoe Source Water Protection Program includes development
of a Coordination Plan that will follow the development and
implementation of state source water assessment and protection
plans in the Lake Tahoe Region. The Coordination Plan will
be developed using a watershed approach. USEPA is looking
for this Coordination Plan to serve as a model for application
to other interstate watersheds in the United States.
Project deliverables include the following:
- Coordination Plan
- Source Water and Contaminate Threat Regional Inventories
- Protection Plan
- Public Outreach Website
- Project Report
Remarks: The grant term has been extended to December
31, 1999.
Lead Agency: TRPA
Contact(s): Jon Paul Kiel, 775-588-4547, jpkiel@trpa.org
Status: Formal Source Water group meetings have concluded.
TRPA staff in process of completing program deliverables.
Calendar: No routine schedule at this time.
STPUD Groundwater Management Plan
Stakeholder Advisory Group.
Objective: STPUD Resolution No. 2683-98 justifies
the intention of the district to draft a Groundwater Management
Plan (GMP) pursuant to the Groundwater Management Act, Water
Code subsection 10750. The purpose of drafting the plan is
to adopt a groundwater management plan which aims to avoid
further contamination of drinking water wells by substances
such as PCE and MTBE.
Remarks: For purposes of drafting the GMP, several
subcommittees will be established and will meet independently
of the larger advisory group.
Lead Agency: South Tahoe Public Utility District
Contact(s): Dennis Cocking, 530-544-6474 ext. 208,
dio4pud@sierra.net
Status: Kick-off meeting and meeting to review GMP
framework held.
Calendar: SAG to meet first Wednesday of each month.
Lake Tahoe Sewer Agencies
Objective: To bring together the utility districts
and regulators to identify areas where sewer pipeline infrastructure
may be an environmental hazard to Lake Tahoe. This has included
a reconnaissance study by the Army Corps of Engineers and
an inventory of specific critical sites. Future activities
may include further refining priority areas and, in an effort
to save time and money, developing one environmental document
which can be used by all of the utility districts in implementing
specific upgrade or replacement projects.
Remarks:
Lead Agency: TRPA
Contact(s): Doug Smith, 775-588-4547.
Status: Subactive.
Calendar: Meet as necessary.
Groups concerned with recreation
Recreation Advisory Group (for the
2001 Threshold Evaluation)
Draft Mission Statement: To evaluate and make constructive
recommendations regarding the recreation threshold´s
ability to provide accessible, quality recreation opportunities,
equitably available to the public while balancing the competing
interests of the Basin´s resources.
Main Objectives (Draft)
- Gain a clear understanding of how the thresholds are
defined and implemented and identify those indicators
that lead to an effective evaluation.
- Analyze and critique the progress of the past five
year´s efforts toward Threshold maintenance and
attainment.
- Analyze and quantify the current conditions leading
toward positive and negative trends in Basin recreation
activities. Make recommendations to remedy or ameliorate
the negative trends.
- Gain a greater recognition within the TRPA and the
Basin polity as to the importance that recreation has
on the regional economy and the quality of life for Basin
residents.
- Identify the spectrum of recreation activities that
are complementary to the Basin environment.
Contact Peter Eichar, TRPA, (775) 588-4547, recreation@trpa.org
Tahoe Coalition of Recreation Providers
(TCORP):
Objectives/Goals: Provide a forum for the expression
of divergent points of view within the recreation industry.
Serve as a clearinghouse so that all recreation providers
are aware of the projects and activities taking place in the
region.
Calendar: Quarterly meetings and as needed.
Contact Bob Kingman, CTC, (530) 542-5580
Groups concerned with outreach and
education
Lake Tahoe Environmental Education
Coalition
Objective: To bring agency and educational organizations
together into a coalition and to formulate a coordinated,
comprehensive strategy that will effectively teach all sub-audiences
at Lake Tahoe decision-making skills to help them make informed
decisions and change their behaviors.
Subcommittees:
- Homeowners and Neighborhoods
- Forest Health and Fire
- K-12 Watershed Education
- Higher Education and Research
- Business and Tourism
- Restoration Projects
Lead Agencies: UNR Cooperative Extension & TRPA
Contact(s): John Cobourn, 775-832-4140, jcobourn@agnt1.ag.unr.edu
Pam Drum, 775-588-4547, pdrum@trpa.org
Status: Met for the first time 1/20/00.
Calendar: No schedule established.
Tahoe Citizens Environmental Action
Network
Objective Summary: Promote environmental awareness
and understanding of Lake Tahoe's unique natural resources,
the Tahoe Citizen's Environmental Action Network will support
and augment community environmental education programs.
Objectives: Encourage and facilitate the stewardship of the
Lake Tahoe Basin watershed. Coordinate volunteers to assist
in community and agency environmental programs. Develop business,
education, environmental and service community partnerships
and participation.
Lead Agencies: League To Save Lake Tahoe, TRPA
Contact(s): Rich Kentz, League To Save Lake Tahoe.
rkentz@keeptahoeblue.org
Rita Whitney (Interim), TRPA, 775-588-4547, rwhitney@trpa.org
Calendar: No routine schedule established. Meetings
monthly
Communications Working Group
Objectives: To facilitate and coordinate the exchange
of information among research institutions and between research
institutions and the public.
Remarks: Members include representatives of TRPA, UNR, UCD,
USGS, USFS, Cooperative Extension, TCSF.
Lead Agency: TRPA
Contacts: Pam Drum, 775-588-4547, pdrum@trpa.org
Calendar: Meets on an as-needed basis.
Groups concerned with BMP effectiveness
Tahoe Basin Interagency Road Maintenance
and Operations Committee
Objectives: To identify and seek alignment of "Best"
management practices and design standards in an effort to
minimize the impacts road operation and maintenance have on
the environment in the basin, and to reduce review efforts
by regulatory agencies.
Subcommittees:
- Tahoe Interagency Runoff Subcommittee (TIRS)
- Integrated Traffic Operations
- Aesthetics Criteria
- Winter Maintenance Operations
- Bikeway Construction Operation and Maintenance
Lead Agency: Nevada Department of Transportation
Contact(s): Rick Nelson, NDOT, (775) 834-8300, rnelson@dot.state.nv.us
Chairpersonship rotates annually
Status: Active
Calendar: Meets last Tuesday of first month of the
quarter (January, April, July, October.)
Performance Review Committee
Objective Summary: To improve maintenance activity
effort to keep capital improvements functional. Aimed largely
at county public works departments. Also concerned with commercial
and tourism allocation issues.
Objectives: This group is driven by TRPA Ordinance
33.2.B(5)(b)(ii) which requires each county and the CSLT to
demonstrate adequate maintenance of water quality facilities
prior to receiving 100% of the respective jurisdiction´s
residential allocation for development.
Remarks: The maintenance requirement is one of several
criteria established in the ordinance that must be met for
each jurisdiction to receive the full residential allocation.
The demonstration requirement is currently on a two-year review
process schedule.
Lead Agency: TRPA
Contact(s): Paul Nielson, 775-588-4547
Status: Meetings every two years
Calendar: Summer or Fall 2000 meeting to be scheduled.
Large Project Water Quality BMP Maintenance
Group
Objective Summary: to improve maintenance activity
effort to keep capital improvements functional. Aimed largely
at private properties with uses containing large areas of
impervious coverage, and uses with a high potential to degrade
water quality.
Objective: See above. This group is driven by TRPA
1996 Threshold Evaluation recommendations to maintain treatment
effectiveness of water quality facilities, and TRPA´s
Work Program which recently established Work Element 28 –
EIP Operations and Maintenance. Program development is currently
stalled pending consensus of the program´s target projects/properties/land
uses ("Large project" has yet to be defined, therefore
the target of this group is not established.)
Remarks: The perceived overlap with the Tahoe Basin
Interagency Road Maintenance and Operations Committee and
other maintenance efforts diminishes as this group´s
effort comes into focus. This group´s objective is evolving
towards development of a program which will address operations
and maintenance needs of environmental improvement facilities
Region wide.
Lead Agency: TRPA
Contact(s): Jon Paul Kiel, 775-588-4547, jpkiel@trpa.org
Steve Chilton, 775-588-4547
Status: On hiatus pending completion of revised TRPA
work program elements.
Calendar: No meetings scheduled at this time.
Erosion Control TAC
Objectives: To set policy for development and review
of erosion control projects, and evaluate their effectiveness.
Also, to act as a forum for new approaches and techniques
for erosion control and water quality treatment.
Remarks: Overlap of this past TAC with Research and
Monitoring Subcommittee and TBI Runoff and Treatment Group
currently exists. It is possible that this group could reconvene
to review erosion control projects, possibly on a project-by-project
basis. This TAC has completed objectives for project review
and monitoring criteria which should be used by other subgroups.
Lead Agency: TRPA since 1995. Previous Lead –LTBMU,
Sue Norman, Santini-Burton program.
Contact(s): Larry Benoit, 775-588-4547.
Status: Inactive since March 25, 1996.
Calendar: No meetings proposed at
this time.
Revegetation TAC (Tahoe Basin Revegetation
Group)
Objectives: To encourage information sharing on revegetation,
evaluate successful techniques and plant materials for revegetation,
and to encourage revegetation as a cost-effective means of
erosion control.
Lead Agency: TRPA
Contact(s): Larry Benoit, 775-588-4547
Status: Active.
Calendar: No routine meeting schedule established
at this time.
Shorezone Review Committee
Objectives: Coordination of shorezone project review
and enforcement activities by shorezone agencies. Project
level decisions predominate. There is less policy level discussions/decisions
with this group.
Lead Agency: TRPA
Contact: Jon Paul Harries, (775) 588-4547
Status: Active.
Calendar: Meets every third Thursday of each month.
Upper Truckee Focused Watershed Group
Objective Summary: To use the Upper Truckee watershed
as a focus and model watershed to coordinate activities aimed
largely at the protection and enhancement of water quality
in the watershed, and ultimately, Lake Tahoe. To design an
action or watershed plan which may be applied to all watersheds
in the Region.
Objectives:
- Assessment of the current conditions of watershed
resources.
- Obtain commitments of the Federal, State, and local
agencies, as well as local groups, and residents.
- Identify watershed improvement needs, including management
and physical needs.
- Develop coordinated Action Plan to address needs.
- Identify available and potential resources ($, labor,
etc.)
- Implement Action Plan
- Monitor and assess.
- Adjust actions as needed.
Subcommittees:
- Education and Outreach Subcommittee :Goal Statement:
Enhance coordination and development of education and
outreach programs which promote community involvement
to achieve greater watershed awareness and function.
- Evaluation Subcommittee: Goal Statement: Evaluate
water quality response at different scales of watershed
management efforts in order to develop more effective
implementation strategies.
- Restoration Subcommittee: Goal Statement: Describe
the physical watershed condition and solutions for restoration
of watershed function (related to water quality) to the
fullest extent possible.
Remarks: Tahoe Citizens Environmental Action Network
evolved from the Education and Outreach subcommittee.
The evaluation and restoration subcommittees are currently
inactive.
Lead Agency: California Regional Water Quality Control
Board- Lahontan
Contact(s): Dale Payne, 530-542-5400,
Status: Active, currently working on ACOE Upper Truckee
River watershed plan.
Calendar: Meets bimonthly on the first Thursday of
the month.
Groups concerned with air quality
and transportation
NDOT Master Plan Partnering Process
Objectives: To work as a team in a spirit of partnering
to produce a quality master plan that meets all user, schedule
and phasing requirements, is cost effective, properly administered
and produces the data upon which to effectively design, build
and maintain the necessary erosion control and storm water
management facilities. To define and provide preliminary design
for water quality improvements on Nevada Highways 28 and 50.
Subcommittees:
- Design Subcommittee
- Environmental Subcommittee
- Public Involvement Subcommittee
Lead Agency: NDOT
Contact(s): Amir Soltani, 775-888-7000
Status: Active.
Calendar: Monthly meetings the 3rd Friday of each
month, Subcommittees meet monthly.
Transportation Technical Advisory
Committee
Remarks: Directly related to WQ through planning and
programming such things as cub/gutter/storm drain/water treatment
in highway projects. (For example: Tahoe City or Highway 50
in CST; alternative fuels; transit vehicles, etc.) Comprised
of each local jurisdiction, state DOTs, TMAs.
Lead Agency:
Contacts:
Calendar: Meets 4th Thursday of each month.
Tahoe Transportation Commission and
Tahoe Transportation District
Objective: Responsible for input into regional plans
and regional improvement programs. Each jurisdiction is represented,
plus agencies such as the USGS, and the Washoe Tribe. This
is a formal committee.
Contact: Richard Wiggins, TRPA, (775) 588-4547
Lake Tahoe Transportation and Water
Quality Coalition
No information is available at this time.
Transportation Conformity Task Force
Has met twice. Meets as needed. Contact Jim Allison, TRPA,
(775) 588-4547
Visibility Working Group
Meets approximately once per year. Contact Jim Allison, TRPA,
(775) 588-4547
Airshed Model Working Group
Formed 1998. Meets as needed. Contact Jim Allison, TRPA,
(775) 588-4547
Air Quality Monitoring Working Group
Meets approximately once per year. Contact Jim Allison, TRPA,
(775) 588-4547
Prescribed Burning TAC
Objective Summary: Coordinate prescribed burning activities
in relation to air quality thresholds.
Objectives: To coordinate prescribed burning activities
towards reduction of smoke and precipitation to surface waters.
Remarks: A connect/nexus to water quality issues exists
with respect to atmospheric deposition, modification of vegetation
component within stream environment zones, and soil impacts.
Lead Agency: TRPA
Contact(s): Steve Chilton, TRPA, 775-588-4547, schilton@trpa.org
Status: Active.
Calendar: A quarterly meeting schedule may be established.
Groups formed to support the development
of TIIMS
Information Content Workgroup
Mission:
contact:
Web Design and Security
Mission:
Contact:
Public Information
Mission:
Contact:
Trading Partner Agreements & Funding
Mission:
Contact:
Metadata
Mission:
Contact:
QA/QC, Data Standards & Monitoring.
Mission:
Contact:
Other Groups
Nevada Water Resources Association
No information available at this time.
Clean Cities Coalition
Clean Cities Coalition is a program sponsored by the US Department
of Energy toward the goal of increasing the use of alternative
fuels and decreasing the Nation´s dependence on foreign
fuel sources. The coalition is in the forming stages and will
eventually be structured under a MOU with multiple local jurisdictions
and public stakeholders as signatories.
Contact(s): Nick Haven, TRPA, 775-588-4547, nhaven@trpa.org
Nevada Bond Act TAC
Objective Summary: To provide technical input for
the awarding of grants, through the 1996 Nevada Tahoe Bond
Act, for the purposes of implementing erosion control and
stream environment zone restoration projects.
Objectives: The 1996 Nevada Tahoe Bond Act authorizes
the issuance of state general obligation bonds to provide
grants to local governments and the department of transportation
to carry out projects for the control of erosion and the restoration
of natural watercourses on the Nevada side of the Lake Tahoe
Basin.
Remarks: This TAC is sponsoring the April 15 - 16
Revegetation Workshop Cal-Neva Resort.
Lead Agency: Nevada State Lands
Contact(s): Jason Shackleford, NTCD, (530) 573-2757
Status: Active.
Calendar: TAC meets as needed.
United States Postal Service Master
Plan
No information is available at this time
