Abstract |
This document is the Staff Report that summarizes the Numeric Target, Pollutant Source Analysis, Load Allocations, Implementation Plan and Adaptive Management Process for the Lake Tahoe Total Maximum Daily Load (Lake Tahoe TMDL). Lake Tahoe is an oligotrophic alpine lake situated on the California-Nevada border at approximately 6223 feet elevation. The lake surface area is 194 mi2 with a contributing drainage area of 314 mi2. Lake Tahoe is fed by 63 tributary streams and 52 intervening zones that drain directly to the lake. The largest tributary is the Upper Truckee River, which contributes approximately 25 percent of the lake's annual flow. The Truckee River, Lake Tahoe's one outlet, flows to its terminus in Nevada's Pyramid Lake. The natural rim of Lake Tahoe is at 6223 feet above sea level. A dam regulates water flow from the natural rim to the maximum legal lake level of 6229.1 feet. |