Future of Lake Tahoe

In 1984 when Eurasian Watermilfoil was first noticed by the Tahoe Divers Conservancy, divers easily could have hand-pulled all of the weed up, nipping in the bud what was to become an explosive bio-invasion. Regrettably, this was not done, and invasive species have propagated throughout Lake Tahoe and working its way throughout the Truckee watershed.

[object Object],FUTURE OF THE LAKE

Shifting Ecosystems ,[object Object],[object Object]

[object Object],[object Object]

[object Object],We describe diving in the Lake Tahoe as Zen Diving .

[object Object],[object Object],[object Object]

[object Object],Multiple strains of E. coli bacteria and botulism spores will thrive in the new underwater garden, contributing to beach closings and the widespread deaths of migratory birds.

[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],After Before

[object Object],[object Object],Can we act quickly enough to help it recover? Can the Lake recover?

[object Object],This change may allowed native species of algae to run rampant. In the Great Lakes algae species once relegated to shallow waters can now grow in 30 feet of water, twice as deep as a decade ago, its waving tendrils now cover vast offshore areas.

[object Object],Unfortunately, Lake Tahoe ceased to be a wholly native ecosystem long ago.

[object Object],Beginning in the late 1800’s, species introductions combined with logging for mining started to alter the lake’s ecology. The native food chain was dominated by a single predator, Lahontan cutthroat trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) that fed primarily on pelagic tui chub ( Siphateles bicolor pectinifer ) and zooplankton.

[object Object],After the introduction of Mysid shrimp in the 1960’s, again there was a shift in Lake Tahoe’s again the food web structure. After Mysis establishment the annual length and weight of returning spawners decreased.

[object Object],[object Object],By the end of the 1980’s, largemouth bass ( Micropterus salmoides ) were common while redside shiner and speckled dace populations declined or were virtually eliminated from the Tahoe Keys.

[object Object],Preliminary studies conducted around the lake by the University of Nevada-Reno and the UC Davis, Tahoe Environmental Research Center in 1999, 2003, and 2006 demonstrate that 50% of these sites contain nonnative, warmwater fish species.

[object Object],[object Object],From 20 deep feet of water out to 40 feet or more, mussels cover the lake floor in a crunching layer as brittle as breakfast cereal. On their shells fronds of algae wave in the water, forming a carpet the lush green of a tropical forest.

[object Object],[object Object],Swimming in tennies was the attire du jour.

ACTION PLAN ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object]

Future of Lake Tahoe

Recomendados

Recomendados

Mais conteúdo relacionado

Mais procurados

Mais procurados (20)

Semelhante a Future of Lake Tahoe

Semelhante a Future of Lake Tahoe (15)

Último

Último (20)

Future of Lake Tahoe