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Read about Lake Tahoe’s latest environmental health report, actions to keep golden mussels out of Lake Tahoe, wildlife safety crossings, and how the Pony Express touched the Tahoe Basin.
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Lake Tahoe, Nev./Calif. – A transformative project on Kahle Drive in Stateline, Nev. is beginning this week, and agencies are asking residents and users of the area to be alert and prepare for temporary changes to access and conditions in work zones.
The Nevada Tahoe Conservation District (NTCD) is leading the Kahle Drive Complete Streets Project to construct a new streetscape along the entire Kahle Drive corridor. The project includes water quality improvements, sidewalks and pedestrian crosswalks, a bike lane, landscaping, undergrounding of utility lines, and enhanced access to recreation and open space. This half-mile road provides key connections to the Stateline-to-Stateline bike trail, trails throughout Rabe Meadow, and Douglas County service centers.
The road was originally built on a wetland that provided multiple environmental benefits including protecting Lake Tahoe’s famed clarity. The road surface is also in poor condition, is unsafe for pedestrians and cyclists, and lacks stormwater infrastructure needed to keep fine sediment and other pollutants out of the lake. The project will also raise a portion of the roadway to help restore some of the natural function of the wetland.
The environmental improvements will dovetail with completed and ongoing Environmental Improvement Program projects to restore the Burke Creek Watershed and Rabe Meadow—known to the native Washoe people as Lam Watah—an important area historically used for processing and preparing food for winter. The project is expected to finish by October 2026.
Funding and support for the project are being provided by NTCD, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, Nevada Division of State Lands, USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Douglas County, and the Oliver Park General Improvement District. Additional federal funding was provided through a Congressionally Directed Spending request.
Private sector support is also being provided by the Tahoe Fund, NV Energy, and Barton Health, which is allowing project staging on the vacant parcel formerly occupied by the Lakeside Inn & Casino.
More information about the project is available on the NTCD project page.
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The Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program is an unparalleled partnership working to achieve the environmental goals of the region. Local, state, and federal government agencies, private entities, scientists, and the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California have collaborated for more than 25 years to restore the environmental health of Lake Tahoe. The prime directive of the EIP is to move the Tahoe Basin closer to environmental threshold attainment. For media inquiries, contact Jeff Cowen, Public Information Officer, at (775) 589-5278, or jcowen@trpa.gov.
About Julie W. Regan, Executive DirectorJulie is the executive director of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, where she has served as an executive since 2003. Julie is a proven leader in environmental conservation, government affairs, and community engagement with decades of experience in the public and private sectors. Established in 1969, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency is the first environmental interstate compact agency of its kind in the United States. The agency is charged with the protection of Lake Tahoe, which is the oldest lake in North America, the second deepest lake in the United States, and the ancestral and current home of the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California.
Julie is a doctoral candidate in Environmental Science at the University of Nevada, Reno. Her research focuses on the intersection of science and public policy, building on her years of experience at Lake Tahoe balancing environmental preservation in a $5 billion tourism-based economy.
Julie has a B.A. in communications from the University of Delaware and a master’s in journalism from Temple University in Philadelphia. She is also the past Co-Chair of the nationally-focused Network for Landscape Conservation.
Originally from Delaware, Julie is celebrating three decades of community life at Tahoe where she’s been active in service organizations including being former Chair of the Barton Hospital Foundation Board of Trustees. She enjoys skiing, mountain biking, hiking, and traveling with her family and dogs.
The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) is improving its customer service and regional permitting system. Environmentally beneficial redevelopment and private sector investments are a crucial element in ensuring a sustainable Lake Tahoe. Beginning in early 2022, the Permitting and Compliance Department launched the Permitting Improvement Project.
The priorities for the project include:
In September and October of 2023, the TRPA Governing Board adopted a suite of amendments to the Code of Ordinances, Rules of Procedure, Design Review Guidelines, and Fee Schedule aimed at the priorities listed above. These changes implement the actions and recommendations of stakeholders identified in the March 2023 Implementation Report. In 2024 and 2025, TRPA staff continues to implement sweeping procedural and administrative changes.
The amendments above are paired with sweeping procedural and administrative internal improvements, including:
Coming Soon
Please contact our staff with questions or suggestions.
Jennifer Self
jself@trpa.gov
(775) 589-5261
Lake Tahoe, CA/NV – The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) is reminding residents, property owners, and project managers that the grading and digging season for permitted projects in the Lake Tahoe Basin begins May 1.
Grading and digging work are confined to drier months to protect Lake Tahoe’s famed water clarity from sources of erosion and sediment, according to TRPA. Working in dry conditions prevents soil compaction and stops loose soil and mud from washing away from project sites or into roadways, storm drains, waterways, and the lake.
Widespread erosion and sediment-laden runoff can flow into Lake Tahoe during storm events and when saturated soil is disturbed.
During the grading season, May 1 through October 15, soil work can proceed in dry conditions, but is prohibited when a project area is covered with snow, when ground is saturated, muddy, or unstable, and during periods of precipitation. Although all grading is prohibited in wet conditions, not all digging requires a permit. More information is available at trpa.gov/applications-forms under Grading.
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The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency leads the cooperative effort to preserve, restore, and enhance the unique natural and human environment of the Lake Tahoe Region, while improving local communities, and people’s interactions with our irreplaceable environment. For additional information, contact Jeff Cowen, Public Information Officer, at (775) 589-5278 or jcowen@trpa.gov.
