Tahoe Regional Planning Agency

Let's face it, its Lake Tahoe's picture perfect crystal water with granite boulders set against a backdrop of Pine & Sequoia forested mountains that brings flocks of tourists to visit and enjoy the bounty of outdoor activities that the High Sierra has to offer. Imagine if the Lake began to lose its clarity and algae started to cling to the rocks along the shoreline. Would our national treasure continue to hold its charm and would the tourists return?

Everything we do to the land within the Lake Tahoe Basin can positively or adversely affect lake water clarity.  Human impacts, such as run-off from buildings and roads, and erosion from recreation trails and ski resorts, can seriously harm Lake Tahoe's legendary cobalt-blue water clarity and cause water quality deterioration.Sixty-three streams flow into Lake Tahoe and are the invisible threads that connect the Lake to our homes and us. Everything we use or produce in the watershed -- sewage, fertilizers, pesticides, motor oil, and animal wastes -- can be carried into Lake Tahoe.

The TRPA was formed in the 1969 for the purpose of preserving our most valuable asset "The Lake".  As the mission statement proclaims "Our mission is to cooperatively lead the effort to preserve, restore and enhance the unique natural and human environment of the Lake Tahoe region now and in the future."   This is essentially done through land use regulation and best management practices. The procedure for which this may affect the property owner is that a parcel of land within the Lake Tahoe watershed basin is given an IPES score (Individual Parcel Evaluation System) grading your property on slope & soil type relative to parcel size to determine erosion hazard and runoff potential thus dictating the allowable area of coverage. This would determine the allowable size of a newly constructed house or if a property owner wishes to make a room addition, add a deck, garage or driveway it would be subject to the TRPA issuing a permit determined on the property's IPES score.  Additionally all developed properties are subject to BMP (Best Management Practices), which are methods to help developed properties function more like natural, undisturbed forest and meadowland that offer a natural filtration system. These practices are performed through vegetating and mulching soils, infiltrating storm water runoff from impervious surfaces, paving dirt driveways & roads and stabilizing or retaining steep slopes and loose soils.

If you own a property within the Tahoe Basin or are interested in buying or selling within the Basin, you should be aware of the TRPA regulations and fully understand the implications before going forward.

If this article has piqued your interest, perhaps you would like to visit the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency's website by clicking here!