Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL) are water quality restoration plans required by the Federal Clean Water Act to ensure that water quality standards in impaired surface water bodies are achieved. Because Lake Tahoe is threatened by increasing levels of sediments and nutrients entering the lake, a TMDL is required to address these sources of pollution to ensure Lake Tahoe meets it water clarity standards.

The Lake Tahoe TMDL will identify the amount (i.e., loads) of sediments and nutrients that can be discharged to the Lake from major pollutant sources (i.e., urban runoff, stream bank and shore erosion, groundwater seepage and atmospheric deposition). The Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board in California and the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection are collaborating to develop the TMDL, with support from many other parties (CARB, USFS, TRPA, USACE, EPA, etc.). For more detailed information about the Lake Tahoe TMDL click here.

The final TMDL for Lake Tahoe is expected to be adopted by both states in Winter 2007. The TMDL information will be incorporated into 2007 updates of LRWQCB´s Basin Plan, TRPA´s 208 and Regional Plan and LTBMU´s Forest Plan.