BMPs
What are BMPs?
Best Management Practices (BMPs) improve water quality by reducing soil erosion and capturing polluted water before it enters Lake Tahoe. The intent of BMPs are to help designed landscapes better mimic their natural surroundings, reducing the amount of dirt and sediment that flows into Tahoe.
In undisturbed areas such as forests or meadows, soil and plants act as a natural purification system by filtering water before it reaches lakes and streams. In urban areas, runoff carrying excess nutrients, sediment and other harmful pollutants reach waterways without this natural infiltration. This causes erosion and increased algae growth which reduces the famous clarity of Lake Tahoe.
Why Should We Care?
Lake Tahoe clarity has been declining at a rate of about one foot per year. This declining clarity of Lake Tahoe has negative impacts for property values, recreation, tourism, wildlife habitat and aesthetic value. Soil health is directly connected with water quality issues.
Transfer of sediment into local waterways is the leading pollutant in our nation’s surface waters and is also the number one reason for Lake Tahoe’s decline in water clarity.
Solution: Start protecting Lake Tahoe in your backyard!
There are many things you can do as a property owner or resident to help ensure safe, clean water for yourself and others in the watershed.
- Implement erosion control and wildfire reduction practices on your property
- Ensure proper disposal of hazardous and solid wastes
- Properly apply fertilizers and pesticides for lawn applications
- Incorporate use of native and adapted plants when landscaping
Please remember that everything you do on your property affects the health of our watershed as a whole!