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Background for the EIP
Programs & Planning > Background for the EIP
Despite Lake Tahoe's exceptional water quality, it is considered officially impaired since it does not meet the transparency standard of approximately 100 feet measured in 1968. In 1997, the Lake's clarity measurement hit an all-time low of 64 feet. Other concerns were also documented such as degrading air quality and an ever-growing fuel load in the forests surrounding Lake Tahoe.
The Lake Tahoe community, including a consortium of leading scientific experts, came together to support a conservation plan for Lake Tahoe. The Environmental Improvement Program (EIP) was created following the 1997 Lake Tahoe Presidential Forum, an event which proved to be a pivotal turning point for Lake Tahoe's future by inspiring a renewed commitment to the Region. During the Forum, President Bill Clinton issued an Executive Order which created the Lake Tahoe Federal Interagency Partnership. Federal agencies joined with state and local entities at Lake Tahoe and agreed to work with the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency to integrate appropriate programs and funds to achieve the goals of the EIP.
The EIP encompasses hundreds of capital improvement, research, and program support projects designed to achieve and maintain environmental thresholds that protect Tahoe's unique and valued resources. These projects strive to repair damage to water and air quality, forest health, fish and wildlife, scenic views and to improve public access to Lake Tahoe's abundant recreational opportunities.
Through a substantial investment of resources, the EIP is intended to increase the pace at which environmental thresholds will be attained. Now, a decade after its launch, the EIP is poised to move into a new phase with a planning horizon through 2017 to build on the achievements made to date.
A renewed commitment to forest health and wildfire prevention has also emerged following the tragic Angora Fire at Lake Tahoe in June 2007. Acceleration of fuels reduction is a priority for the EIP particularly because of the catastrophic environmental impacts of wildfire on the Tahoe ecosystem.
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