Remote Surveillance Trailer in Truckee, CA

TRUCKEE-TAHOE BASIN Calif. / Nev. – Microplastics are occurring at a higher concentration in the Truckee River than in Lake Tahoe by a factor of 3-4, according to a recently published study.

Researchers say this could mean the extra pollution is coming from the river’s surrounding landscape and emphasize that reducing single-use plastics is critical to protecting the river’s water quality.

It’s another study within the last few years seeking to understand this ubiquitous material and how it impacts human and environmental health.

Folks in the Tahoe region might recall a study a few years ago that found Lake Tahoe had the third-highest concentration of plastic among 38 lakes tested worldwide, adding perspective to this recent study.

Adding further context, the Truckee River’s concentrations are comparable to those found in studies of other Western rivers.

The Truckee River’s role in providing drinking water to half a million people is just one implication of this data.

“The Truckee River is such a critical artery for Northern Nevada,” Hannah Lukasik, lead researcher and former master’s student at the Desert Research Institute (DRI) and the University of Nevada, Reno, said. “It not only supplies drinking water to around half a million people in the Reno-Sparks area, it’s also a main water source for wildlife and is central to recreation in the region. Additionally, the river, terminating at Pyramid Lake, holds strong cultural and physical significance for the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe who has called the lake home for generations.”

Lukasik’s study also found microplastic concentrations nearly ten times higher in spring than in fall. The researcher theorizes that’s likely because higher spring flows flush microplastics from the landscape and river bottom.

How much plastic are we talking about? The study broke down microplastic concentrations per liter. For scale, the standard shareable soda bottle is two liters. Spring concentrations ranged from 1 to 10 microplastics per liter. In the fall, that range is .1-1 microplastics.

The most dominant plastics found included polyethylene, a type used for plastic shopping bags, milk jugs, and plastic wrap, and polypropylene, a sturdier plastic used in medical equipment, storage totes, and automotive parts.

The study captured both upstream locations, near the headwaters at Lake Tahoe, and downstream locations, in the major population centers of Reno/Sparks, Nev. Lukasik took samples in the fall of 2022 and spring of 2023.

Microplastics appeared in samples from every site, but the highest concentrations were found at sites within city areas of Reno and Sparks. The lowest were found upstream from the Reno area and downstream of a river restoration site, which researchers believe may be retaining microplastics in its meandering channel.

DRI says understanding microplastic concentrations in rivers matters because these bodies of water can act as both sinks and transport systems that break plastic fragments into even smaller pieces.

Monica Arienzo, director of DRI’s Microplastics and Environmental Chemistry Lab, and Lukasik’s mentor on the project, explained that it is important to know that concentrations can vary dramatically from season to season because it may shed light on innovative ways to capture the litter before it makes its way into waterways.

“We hope our research helps water managers protect the Truckee River’s water quality,” Arienzo said, “by offering more information about where and when microplastic concentrations are highest.”

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27

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Good

Main pollutant:

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4.8 µg/m³

10°

16 km/h

83 %

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SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. —The California Tahoe Conservancy Board authorized a $2 million grant for El Dorado County to build a critical missing section of the south shore shared-use trail network. The Johnson Meadow Greenway Connector Project will provide a safe route for people biking, walking, and rolling between South Lake Tahoe neighborhoods east and west of the Upper Truckee River.

“It’s exciting to see this transformative project move forward,” said Conservancy Vice Chair and El Dorado County Supervisor Brooke Laine. “By tying together our neighborhoods and visitor destinations, this new trail crossing will provide lasting benefits for residents and visitors, and even for wildlife.”

The Conservancy began planning the Greenway in 2002, using the leftover right-of-way from a planned-but-canceled major freeway through south shore communities. Current sections of the Greenway provide car-free access for visitors and residents to neighborhoods, schools, parks, recreation areas, and other community destinations throughout South Lake Tahoe. The Conservancy and its partners long hoped to add a Greenway connection across the Upper Truckee River to the Barton Memorial Hospital and South Tahoe “Y” areas. This crossing became a possibility when Tahoe Resource Conservation District acquired Johnson Meadow in 2018.

The Conservancy grant awarded at the Board meeting yesterday, using Proposition 4 (Climate Bond) funds, completes the funding the County will need to build this Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program (EIP) project. Additional funding for the project comes from the U.S. Federal Highway Administration, Caltrans, and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, along with potential funding from El Dorado County. The County expects to begin construction in 2027.

Raised trail and bridge sections over creek and meadow crossings protect sensitive meadow habitat and infrastructure from high water flows and provide safe passage for wildlife. The same structures will also keep the trail open during higher flows from extreme weather events.

The Greenway is named in honor of Dennis T. Machida, the Conservancy’s first executive director, who long advocated to expand public recreation and alternative transportation opportunities.

At the same meeting, Herman Fillmore, Culture and Language Resources Director for the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California, provided a training for the Conservancy Board. DaɁaw (Lake Tahoe) is the homeland of the Waší∙šiw (Washoe people – the people from here). The Waší∙šiw are the original stewards of the land in and around the Lake Tahoe Basin (Basin) since time immemorial. As a sovereign nation, the Washoe Tribe continues to advocate for the protection and preservation of Waší∙šiw ɁítdeɁ (the Washoe people’s homelands).

Also at the same meeting, the Board authorized the Conservancy to accept a $1 million grant from the California Wildlife Conservation Board, via the nonprofit Wildlife Crossing Fund. The grant will support the Conservancy and Caltrans to participate in planning and environmental review for the South Tahoe Basin Wildlife Crossings Project. The Project, led by the Wildlife Crossing Fund, will help restore habitat connectivity, improve public safety, and provide safe passage for wildlife through the Basin.