Vision
- To provide global, national, and regional leadership in promoting healthy aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems through science, engineering, and education that benefits communities locally and globally.
- To provide objective scientific knowledge to the public, private industry, government agencies, and elected officials.
- To guide the preservation of a resilient and sustainable ecosystem at Lake Tahoe for generations to come.
Mission
To advance the knowledge of coupled aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and their interactions within natural and developed Earth systems, and to communicate science-informed solutions worldwide.
Guiding Principles
- We are a diverse team that values equity and inclusivity and collaborates to achieve our goals.
- We operate from a place of respect and shared understanding, treating individuals with dignity, compassion, and respect.
- We approach our work in both innovative and retrospective ways to generate creative ideas and solutions.
- Our ongoing commitment to excellence and knowledge enables meaningful engagement on local to global scales.
- We aspire to make a positive difference in the world.
- Our research, education, and outreach promote access to sustainable environmental stewardship.
Overview
About the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC)
TERC is an interdisciplinary institute focused on understanding and protecting freshwater watersheds, using Lake Tahoe as its primary research site. Our scientists — spanning fields like ecology, engineering, chemistry, forestry, and atmospheric science — study how water, land, and air systems interact.
A Whole-Watershed Approach
TERC’s work is based on the idea that healthy lakes depend on healthy watersheds. We study aquatic (water quality, plankton), terrestrial (forest health, wildfire), and atmospheric (climate, air–water interactions) systems together to better understand environmental change, including climate warming, invasive species, and land use.
Long-Term Science, Real-World Impact
TERC operates one of the world’s longest-running lake-monitoring programs, providing critical data to inform decision-making. Our research supports efforts to protect Lake Tahoe’s clarity, improve ecosystem resilience, manage invasive species, restore forests, and adapt to climate change.
Innovation and Discovery
We use advanced tools, including autonomous monitoring, environmental DNA (eDNA), and new imaging technologies, to study complex ecosystems and emerging environmental challenges.
Education and Engagement
Through the Tahoe Science Center and outreach programs, TERC connects the public with science and promotes informed stewardship.
Looking Ahead
By integrating science across disciplines, TERC works to ensure that freshwater systems like Lake Tahoe remain healthy and sustainable for future generations.
History
The first professor hired by the fledgling University of California in 1868 was the physicist John LeConte. He initiated the first scientific measurements in Lake Tahoe, including those of its clarity. UC Davis, through the pioneering work of Dr. Charles Goldman, began conducting research on Lake Tahoe in 1958; as a result, there is over 60 years of data that describes the lake's ecosystem, as well as its watershed and airshed. Every 10 days, a white Secchi disk is lowered into the lake from the UC Davis research vessel (RV John LeConte) to determine the lake's clarity. The annual State of the Lake report provides the science that federal, state, and local government agencies use to assess the lake's health and guide management decisions. This pivotal research stands apart in importance from any other conducted in the country, particularly useful for understanding the impact of change in freshwater environments over time.
TERC around the world
With over 60 years of limnology research conducted at Lake Tahoe, UC Davis has trained hundreds of scientists and researchers here. They are now environmental and educational leaders worldwide, applying the lessons learned from Lake Tahoe globally. TERC's current research is touching every continent, with active collaborations with researchers in Spain, Turkey, Iceland, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Bhutan, Chile, and Tanzania.
Education and Outreach at TERC
Education and outreach are integral components of the TERC activities in the Tahoe basin. The goal of our education programs is to provide science-based information about the Lake Tahoe region in order to foster responsible action and stewardship. TERC currently interacts with more than 11,000 people annually, including providing over 4,000 local students with the opportunity to learn about the unique and fragile ecosystem of Lake Tahoe, the state-of-the-art science and research activities occurring here, and how they can protect the Tahoe basin. Programs for the public include tours of the Tahoe Science Center (Incline Village) and the Eriksson Education Center (Tahoe City), monthly lecture series, docent training program, the Youth Science Institute for high school students, and various events, such as Science Expo (March) and Family Science Day (August). Programs for educators include a summer "Tahoe Teacher Institute" and teacher workshops such as "Project WET."
TERC Facilities
The main TERC labs and offices are in the Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences (TCES) building on the University of Nevada, Reno Lake Tahoe campus. Within the TCES building is our platinum LEED lab facility, the Tahoe Science Center, and the UC Davis offices. TERC also has a small fleet of research vessels, including the R/V John Leconte, R/V Bob Richards, and the R/V Ted Franz. The R/V Ted Franz is housed at the Tahoe City Field Station, also known as the Historic Hatchery, where the majority of TERC's field equipment is located. Our offices on the actual UC Davis campus are in the Watershed Sciences building.