Clean Up The Lake Completes Tahoe Deep Dive Pilot Project
Nonprofit organization Clean Up The Lake (CUTL) has successfully finished its Tahoe Deep Dive Pilot Project, a focused effort to investigate and remove litter and assess aquatic health between 35 and 55 feet below the surface of Lake Tahoe.
Advanced Techniques for Underwater Cleanup
The team utilized Diver Propulsion Vehicles and Nitrox to enhance diver safety and efficiency. These advanced methods allowed them to collect crucial data to support future large-scale underwater cleanup operations.
Project Duration and Volunteer Engagement
- The project ran from February through July 2025.
- There were 14 cleanup days, with a total of 29 dives.
- 26 unique volunteers participated, filling 80 volunteer positions.
- Volunteers contributed 480 hours both underwater and onshore.
Cleanup Results
The team removed 1,933 pounds of litter, comprising 1,042 individual items, from 6.1 miles of lakebed and 4.75 miles of Placer County shoreline.
Frequently recovered materials included:
- 248 glass bottles
- 21 anchors
- Various metal, plastic, and recreational debris
Preliminary Findings
Preliminary data analysis suggests that if debris concentrations found in this pilot area are consistent across Lake Tahoe, there could be more than 29,000 pounds of litter and 17,000 items at similar depths throughout the lake.
Author's summary: Clean Up The Lake’s innovative deep-water pilot project uncovered significant litter in Lake Tahoe, removing nearly two thousand pounds while highlighting the scale of underwater debris at mid-depths.