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Research Center (TERC)
Tahoe Environmental Research Center
The Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) is dedicated to research, education
and public outreach on lakes and their surrounding watersheds and airsheds. Lake
ecosystems include the physical, biogeochemical and human environments, and the
interactions among them. The Center is committed to providing objective scientific
information for restoration and sustainable use of the Lake Tahoe Basin.
2007 Clarity Results
For the first time since researchers began continuously measuring Lake Tahoe's famed water clarity 40 years ago, UC Davis scientists reported today that the historical rate of decline in the lake's clarity has slowed considerably in recent years.
Scientists at the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center say that by using new, more sophisticated models for detecting trends and, by factoring out the effects of annual precipitation, they have concluded that the historic rate of decline in the lake's clarity has slowed since 2001.
"From 1968 to 2000 there was a near-continuous decline in lake clarity. There were several years at a time when things seemed to improve, but invariably we returned to the same trend," said Geoffrey Schladow, a UC Davis professor of civil and environmental engineering who directs the Tahoe research center. "But since 2001, we have had seven years in which the clarity has consistently been better than the long-term trend would have predicted. This is unprecedented."[more...]
Asian Clam (Corbicula fluminea) at Lake Tahoe
On April 25, 2008, TERC senior researchers Scott Hackley and Brant Allen observed
large populations of clams in some nearshore areas in the southeast corner of Lake
Tahoe. It has been confirmed that these are the invasive species Corbicula fluminea
or the Asian clam.
Corbicula was first collected in the U. S. in 1938 along the Columbia River in Washington
State and is now widely distributed. While previous observations suggest that Corbicula
has been in Lake Tahoe at least since 2002, the densities of clams and the size
of the recently observed beds (as large as 6 x 16 feet) appear to be more extensive
than ever reported in Lake Tahoe. The observations of Hackley and Allen using snorkeling
gear reveal that the beds contain both living and dead calms. This information has
been passed on to managers of the Basin’s resource agencies and the Lake Tahoe
Aquatic Invasive Species working group.[more...]
Tahoe Research Center Among 'Greenest' Buildings
The new home of the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center has been named
one of only five science laboratories in the world to receive a Platinum LEED Certification
from the U.S. Green Building Council.
LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The building council
recognizes several levels of energy- and environmental-design excellence; platinum
is its highest award.
Located in Incline Village, Nev., the Tahoe Center is a 45,000-square-foot facility
that houses UC Davis research laboratories and a free, public education center;
Sierra Nevada College laboratories and classrooms; and office space for the Desert
Research Institute and University of Nevada, Reno's Academy for the Environment.
All of these functions are focused on understanding and preserving the unique ecology
of the Lake Tahoe watershed.[more...]
The monitoring of Lake Tahoe for nearly 40 years has resulted in a unique record
of change in one of the world’s most beautiful and endangered lakes. This report
summarizes the impacts of recent human activity on the water’s clarity, temperature,
chemical makeup and biology. More…
Geoff Schladow and Charles Goldman board the research vessel John LeConte to demonstrate
the measurements that protect Lake Tahoe's renowned clarity.
More…
