State of the Lake Archive

Past State of the Lake Reports

The University of California, Davis, has conducted continuous monitoring of Lake Tahoe since 1968, amassing a unique record of change for one of the world’s most beautiful and vulnerable lakes.

In the UC Davis Tahoe: State of the Lake Report, we summarize how natural variability, long term change and human activity have affected the lake’s clarity, physics, chemistry and biology over that period. This report informs the public about important factors affecting the health of Lake Tahoe. It also intends to provide the scientific underpinnings for ecosystem restoration and management decisions within the Lake Tahoe Basin.

Tahoe State of the Lake Report 2023

Download a PDF of the entire report (6.2 MB) or visit the individual chapters below:

  1. Introduction
  2. Executive Summary
  3. About Lake Tahoe
  4. About the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center
  5. Map of Tahoe Basin data collection sites
  6. Current research
  7. Meteorology
  8. Physical properties
  9. Nutrients and particles
  10. Biology
  11. Clarity
  12. Education and outreach

Tahoe State of the Lake Report 2022

Download a PDF of the entire report (5.3 MB) or visit the individual chapters below:

  1. Introduction
  2. Executive Summary
  3. About Lake Tahoe
  4. About the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center
  5. Map of Tahoe Basin data collection sites
  6. Current research
  7. Meteorology
  8. Physical properties
  9. Nutrients and particles
  10. Biology
  11. Clarity

  12. Education and outreach 

    Tahoe State of the Lake Report 2021

Download a PDF of the entire report (6 MB) or visit the individual chapters below:

  1. Introduction
  2. Executive Summary
  3. About Lake Tahoe
  4. About the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center
  5. Map of Tahoe Basin data collection sites
  6. Current Directions
  7. Meteorology
  8. Physical properties
  9. Nutrients and particles
  10. Biology
  11. Clarity
  12. Education and Outreach

Tahoe State of the Lake Report 2020

Download a PDF of the entire report (6 MB) or visit the individual chapters below:

  1. Introduction
  2. Executive Summary
  3. About Lake Tahoe
  4. About the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center
  5. Map of Tahoe Basin data collection sites
  6. Current Directions
  7. Meteorology
  8. Physical properties
  9. Nutrients and particles
  10. Biology
  11. Clarity
  12. Education and Outreach

Tahoe State of the Lake Report 2019

Download a PDF of the entire report (7 MB) or visit the individual chapters below:

  1. Introduction
  2. Executive Summary
  3. About Lake Tahoe
  4. About the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center
  5. Map of Tahoe Basin data collection sites
  6. Current Research
  7. Meteorology
  8. Physical properties
  9. Nutrients and particles
  10. Biology
  11. Clarity
  12. Education and outreach

Tahoe State of the Lake Report 2018

Click here to download a PDF of the entire report (8.2 MB) or visit the individual chapters below:

  1. Introduction
  2. Executive Summary
  3. About Lake Tahoe
  4. About the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center
  5. Map of Tahoe Basin data collection sites
  6. Current Research
  7. Meteorology
  8. Physical properties
  9. Nutrients and particles
  10. Biology
  11. Clarity
  12. Education and outreach

Tahoe State of the Lake Report 2017

Click here to download a PDF of the entire report (9.8 MB) or visit the individual chapters below:

  1. Introduction
  2. Executive Summary
  3. About Lake Tahoe
  4. About the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center
  5. Map of Tahoe Basin data collection sites
  6. Current Research
  7. Meteorology
  8. Physical properties
  9. Nutrients and particles
  10. Biology
  11. Clarity
  12. Education and outreach

Tahoe State of the Lake Report 2016

Click here to download a PDF of the entire report (10.3 MB) or visit the individual chapters below:

  1. Introduction
  2. Executive Summary
  3. About Lake Tahoe
  4. About the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center
  5. Map of Tahoe Basin data collection sites
  6. Recent Research Updates
  7. Meteorology
  8. Physical properties
  9. Nutrients and particles
  10. Biology
  11. Clarity
  12. Education and outreach

Tahoe State of the Lake Report 2015

Click here to download a PDF of the entire report (5.2 MB) or visit the individual chapters below:

  1. Introduction
  2. Executive Summary
  3. About Lake Tahoe
  4. About the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center
  5. Map of Tahoe Basin data collection sites
  6. Recent Research Updates
  7. Meteorology
  8. Physical properties
  9. Nutrients and particles
  10. Biology
  11. Clarity
  12. Education and outreach

Tahoe State of the Lake Report 2014

Click here to download a PDF of the entire report (6.5 MB) or visit the individual chapters below:

  1. Introduction
  2. Executive Summary
  3. About Lake Tahoe
  4. About the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center
  5. Map of Tahoe Basin data collection sites
  6. Recent Research Updates
  7. Meteorology
  8. Physical properties
  9. Nutrients and particles
  10. Biology
  11. Clarity
  12. Education and outreach

Tahoe State of the Lake Report 2013

Click here to download a PDF of the entire report (3.42 MB) or visit the individual chapters below:

  1. Introduction
  2. Executive Summary
  3. About Lake Tahoe
  4. About the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center
  5. Map of Tahoe Basin data collection sites
  6. Recent Research Updates
  7. Meteorology
  8. Physical properties
  9. Nutrients and particles
  10. Biology
  11. Clarity
  12. Education and outreach

Tahoe State of the Lake Report 2012

Click here to download a PDF of the entire report (5.95 MB) or visit the individual chapters below:

  1. Introduction
  2. Executive Summary
  3. About Lake Tahoe
  4. About the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center
  5. Map of Tahoe Basin data collection sites
  6. Recent Research Updates
  7. Meteorology
  8. Physical properties
  9. Nutrients and particles
  10. Biology
  11. Clarity
  12. Education and outreach

Tahoe State of the Lake Report 2011

Click here to download a PDF of the entire report (2.4 MB) or visit the individual chapters below:

  1. Introduction
  2. Executive Summary
  3. About Lake Tahoe
  4. About the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center
  5. Map of Tahoe Basin data collection sites
  6. Recent Research Updates
  7. Meteorology
  8. Physical properties
  9. Nutrients and particles
  10. Biology
  11. Clarity
  12. Education and outreach

Tahoe State of the Lake Report 2010

Click here to download a PDF of the entire report (2.25 MB) or visit the individual chapters below:

  1. Introduction
  2. Executive Summary
  3. About Lake Tahoe
  4. About the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center
  5. Map of Tahoe Basin data collection sites
  6. Recent Research Updates
  7. Meteorology
  8. Physical properties
  9. Nutrients and particles
  10. Biology
  11. Clarity
  12. Education and outreach

Tahoe State of the Lake Report 2009

Click here to download a PDF of the entire report (2.52 MB) or visit the individual chapters below:

  1. Introduction
  2. Executive Summary
  3. About Lake Tahoe
  4. About the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center
  5. Map of Tahoe Basin data collection sites
  6. Asian Clam
  7. Meteorology
  8. Physical properties
  9. Nutrients and particles
  10. Biology
  11. Clarity
  12. Education and outreach

Tahoe State of the Lake Report 2008

Click here to download a PDF of the entire report (2.39 MB) or visit the individual chapters below:

  1. Introduction
  2. Executive Summary
  3. About Lake Tahoe
  4. About the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center
  5. Map of Tahoe Basin data collection sites
  6. Angora Fire - lake response
  7. Meteorology
  8. Physical properties
  9. Nutrients and particles
  10. Biology
  11. Clarity
  12. Education and outreach

Tahoe State of the Lake Report 2007

Click here to download a PDF of the entire report (16.99 MB) or visit the individual chapters below:

  1. Introduction
  2. About Lake Tahoe
  3. About the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center
  4. Map of Tahoe Basin data collection sites
  5. Executive summary
  6. Meteorology
  7. Lake physical properties
  8. Lake nutrients
  9. Lake biology
  10. Lake clarity