On Friday, UC Davis announced that Lake Tahoe clarity has dropped to 64.4 feet, the second lowest reading since measurements began more than 40 years ago.
So on Tuesday, California Governor Jerry Brown and Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval decided that enough is enough.
“>On the shore of the still-blue lake, the pair signed a pact with the federal government to increase the clarity of the lake by half a foot per year for the next 65 years, according to SFGate. If California and Nevada meet these goals, the lake will be visible to a depth of nearly 100 feet at the end of the pact.
"I like to call it a diet for Lake Tahoe," said Jared Blumenfield of the Environmental Protection Agency, according to the Reno Gazette Journal. The pact states that local governments and counties will be asked to take measures to meet the goal, which has recently taken a backseat to initiatives like Nevada's new building law that makes it easier to approve construction projects.
However, said Blumenfield, the largest contributor to increased pollution and sediment is the increase in automobiles driving around the lake.
According to SFGate, Senator Diane Feinstein was also in attendance. Feinstein has been working to approve federal funding for the effort, but has expressed that the effort also needs contributions from the private sector in order to be successful. Fundraisers like this month's annual Oscar de la Renta fashion show, are also helping with the effort.
"It's not by any means an easy goal," said Blumenfield to SFGate. "But we all concur that it is achievable."
Article courtesy of huffingtonpost.com