Seasonal and long-term clarity trend assessment of Lake Tahoe, California–Nevada

Abstract

Graphs showing time series of hourly and daily mean values of variables characterizing inflow density and buoyancy dynamics from Blackwood Creek

Limnology and Oceanography Bulletin Volume 33 Number 2 May 2024 1‐95

“…While fine particles are implicated in the decline of clarity, clarity measured in the summer is declining faster than winter clarity (Naranjo et al 2022). The decline of summer clarity is caused by reduced sediment inputs and lake warming which favor smaller phytoplankton taxa in the genus Cyclotella.…”

“…The origin and fate of the particles in Lake Tahoe is determined by (a) watershed mediated-climate dynamics resulting in the delivery of nutrients and particulate matter from streams and urban runoff, (b) within lake processes including water column vertical stability, and (c) settling of particles from the upper water column. Watershed runoff depends on snow accumulation and snowmelt which deliver a large portion of the annual input of particles to the lake and the greatest change in clarity (Naranjo et al 2022). The long-term (40-year) data from the watershed and lake show significant variability in the deviation of summer clarity and discharge from the lake's largest tributary (Fig.…”

Communicating Science Through Press Releases to News Media: The Case Study of What Is Controlling the Fabled Water Clarity of Lake Tahoe

“…While fine particles are implicated in the decline of clarity, clarity measured in the summer is declining faster than winter clarity (Naranjo et al 2022). The decline of summer clarity is caused by reduced sediment inputs and lake warming which favor smaller phytoplankton taxa in the genus Cyclotella .…”

“…The origin and fate of the particles in Lake Tahoe is determined by (a) watershed mediated‐climate dynamics resulting in the delivery of nutrients and particulate matter from streams and urban runoff, (b) within lake processes including water column vertical stability, and (c) settling of particles from the upper water column. Watershed runoff depends on snow accumulation and snowmelt which deliver a large portion of the annual input of particles to the lake and the greatest change in clarity (Naranjo et al 2022). The long‐term (40‐year) data from the watershed and lake show significant variability in the deviation of summer clarity and discharge from the lake's largest tributary (Fig.…”

Citizen sciences technologies for operational monitoring of aquatic ecosystems

“…An example of the current use of the Secchi disk to monitor water transparency is Lake Tahoe, where researchers have been monitoring the changes in lake clarity for the past 50 years (see Figure 2). The long-term data set collected confirms that there was a decline in clarity brought about by increased algae growth and the presence of very fine particles (Naranjo et al, 2022). However, some limitations exist in estimating water transparency through the Secchi disk.…”