Lake Tahoe, Stateline, NV — The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) is reminding residents and contractors that the annual grading and digging season for permitted projects will end on Friday, October 15, after which all construction sites must be appropriately winterized to protect Lake Tahoe’s famed water quality.
TRPA requires all construction sites to be winterized by October 15 to help prevent sediment from washing into streams and the lake and to prevent soil compaction and disturbance during the region’s historic period of wet weather. Site winterization requirements are available here.
TRPA can approve grading season exceptions for projects on a case-by-case basis if a public health, safety, or water quality emergency exists. It is expected that suppression repair work in support of Caldor Fire recovery will be ongoing, and the public may see work in the South Shore area continuing after October 15 to protect public safety and water quality from ash and debris.
Some limited activities do not require TRPA approval, even outside the grading season, including:
- Paving, if all grading and base compaction is already complete.
- Up to 3 cubic yards of soil disturbance that is not part of a larger project, if completed within 48 hours and if the site is stabilized to prevent erosion. This exemption applies to:
- Residential home landscaping and gardening projects, including irrigation work.
- Exempt residential fences up to 6 feet in height.
Projects that create or relocate impervious surfaces, also called land coverage, require a TRPA permit. The grading and digging season for permitted projects at Lake Tahoe will open again May 1, 2022.
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.
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