tahoe

Nevada's law governing public access to Lake Tahoe's shore is about 5-feet different than California's.

“The general rule of thumb is if you're (on the water) in front of private property and you decide to go on shore, you're probably trespassing,” said Jim Lawrence, administrator of the Nevada Division of State Lands.

Nevada law says the public has the right to access Lake Tahoe's shore anywhere that falls below 6,223 feet elevation, unlike California's precedent, which declares the public can go anywhere below 6228.75 feet elevation.

New research by scientists at the University of Nevada, Reno found that cold temperatures and lack of food combine to discourage reproduction of Asian clams in the lake.

"This could be good news. It really could be," said Sudeep Chandra, a UNR researcher specializing in freshwater science.

"The fact is Lake Tahoe has a few things going for it when it comes to this invasive species spreading around," Chandra said.

Diminished ability to reproduce could mean that efforts to manage clam populations — including killing them by covering clam beds with rubber mats — have a better chance at long-term success, Chandra said.

"The question is, at what rate do they grow? If they are outgrowing what you manage, the problem will keep coming back," Chandra said.

Democratic senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer joined Nevada's two senators to introduce the proposed Lake Tahoe Restoration Act, which would authorize $415 million over 10 years to improve the lake's water clarity and protect the basin from wildfire. 

The bill, co-sponsored by Democrat Harry Reid and Republican John Ensign of Nevada, proposes funding for a range of projects, including watershed restoration and storm-water management, two key factors in maintaining the lake's renowned water clarity.

In addition, the bill would set aside $136 million for fuels-reduction projects to help protect the Tahoe basin and its landowners from fires, and for removal of invasive species.

The legislation is a follow-up to a 2000 law that provided $453.8 million to maintain the environmental health of the Tahoe basin.

Regional officials are touting the effectiveness of a comprehensive watercraft inspection program in preventing the introduction this year of aquatic invasive species into the pristine waters of Lake Tahoe.

Watercraft inspectors managed by the Tahoe Resource Conservation District, in cooperation with Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, performed more than 8,000 boat inspections during the 2010 boating season, officials revealed this week, and a total of 19,000 watercraft launches occurred with Tahoe-specific inspection seals.

Of those numbers, 11 watercraft containing aquatic invasive species were intercepted and decontaminated, officials confirmed