Inspections ward off invasive mussels

Watercraft inspection data and scientific reports continue to indicate that Lake Tahoe’s waters remain clear of invasive Quagga and Zebra mussels, which are considered major threats to Lake Tahoe and surrounding waterbodies.

Tahoe Resource Conservation District watercraft inspectors performed 8,000 inspections this boating season, and there were an additional 19,000 launches comprised of watercraft with intact Tahoe-issued inspection seals.

“We’re very happy with the watercraft inspection program thus far,” said Patrick Stone, TRPA’s Senior Wildlife and Fisheries Biologist and lead for early detection monitoring of invasive mussels. “Investigations conducted around Lake Tahoe, Fallen Leaf Lake and Echo Lake confirmed that Quagga and Zebra mussels have not established in our lakes. These results are a credit to the inspection program.”

Concern among local agencies remains high as more Western waterbodies have shown evidence of invasive mussels and other aquatic invaders. Waterbodies in California and Nevada known to be infected with invasive mussels include San Justo Reservoir, Lake Mead, Lake Havasu and the entire Colorado River system. As watercraft continue to arrive from high risk waters, the importance of Lake Tahoe’s watercraft inspection program remains critical. Federal appropriations through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2010 enabled the program to implement off-highway inspection stations. This created an opportunity to streamline inspection procedures and increase decontamination capacity.

2010 saw a dramatic increase in watercraft decontaminations, which doubled from approximately 600 in 2009 to 1,208 this year. Improved decontamination capacity at off-highway inspection locations allowed inspectors to be more thorough in treating high-risk watercraft. Additional improvements to inspection protocol allowed inspectors to increase prevention efforts by intercepting watercraft arriving from waters known to be infested with aquatic invasive mussels.

In total, 11 watercraft showing the presence of aquatic invasive species of concern were intercepted and decontaminated.

“It only takes one contaminated boat to introduce aquatic invasive species into Lake Tahoe,” said Tahoe RCD Biological Resources Program Manager Kim Boyd. “We need to remain vigilant and not let our guard down. We hope that by demonstrating the success of the watercraft inspection program for Lake Tahoe, the Tahoe RCD and its partners can create a model for prevention programs by sharing our resources and providing support. The TRPA, our key partner in invasive species prevention, continues to be instrumental in the success and evolution of this program.”

While the addition of convenient off-highway locations enabled boaters to receive their watercraft inspections and decontaminations when entering the Lake Tahoe Basin, marinas and boat launches continued to be the busiest locations for inspections in 2010. Cave Rock saw the most inspections, followed by the Tahoe Keys Marina, Lake Forest Boat Launch, Meyers Inspection Station, Alpine Meadows Inspection Station and Sand Harbor. Off-highway inspection stations accounted for approximately 31 percent of all inspections performed during the 2010 boating season.

This year’s prevention efforts also included a more rigorous non-motorized watercraft inspection process at ramp facilities, U.S. Forest Service kiosks and Fallen Leaf Lake. Tahoe RCD inspectors surveyed more than 1,900 paddlers to assess the risk of transporting aquatic invasive species from previously visited water bodies. Paddlers also were educated about self-inspecting and decontaminating canoes, kayaks and paddleboards.

Current information on the boat inspection program, including hours of operation for boat launches and snow closures, is available at http://TahoeBoatInspections.com or by calling 888-824-6267. For more information on the district, visit www.tahoercd.org.

NASA study finds Earth's lakes are warming

WASHINGTON -- In the first comprehensive global survey of temperature trends in major lakes, NASA researchers determined Earth's largest lakes have warmed during the past 25 years in response to climate change.

Researchers Philipp Schneider and Simon Hook of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., used satellite data to measure the surface temperatures of 167 large lakes worldwide.

They reported an average warming rate of 0.81 degrees Fahrenheit per decade, with some lakes warming as much as 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit per decade. The warming trend was global, and the greatest increases were in the mid- to high-latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere.

"Our analysis provides a new, independent data source for assessing the impact of climate change over land around the world," said Schneider, lead author of the study published this week in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. "The results have implications for lake ecosystems, which can be adversely affected by even small water temperature changes."

Small changes in water temperature can result in algal blooms that can make a lake toxic to fish or result in the introduction of non-native species that change the lake's natural ecosystem.

Scientists have long used air temperature measurements taken near Earth's surface to compute warming trends. More recently, scientists have supplemented these measurements with thermal infrared satellite data that can be used to provide a comprehensive, accurate view of how surface temperatures are changing worldwide.

The NASA researchers used thermal infrared imagery from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and European Space Agency satellites. They focused on summer temperatures (July-September in the Northern Hemisphere and January-March in the Southern Hemisphere) because of the difficulty in collecting data in seasons when lakes are ice-covered and/or often hidden by clouds. Only nighttime data were used in the study

The bodies studied were selected from a global database of lakes and wetlands based on size (typically at least 193 square miles or larger) or other unique characteristics of scientific merit. The selected lakes also had to have large surface areas located away from shorelines, so land influences did not interfere with the measurements. Satellite lake data were collected from the point farthest from any shoreline.

The largest and most consistent area of warming was northern Europe. The warming trend was slightly weaker in southeastern Europe, around the Black and Caspian seas and Kazakhstan. The trends increased slightly farther east in Siberia, Mongolia and northern China.

In North America, trends were slightly higher in the southwest United States than in the Great Lakes region. Warming was weaker in the tropics and in the mid-latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere. The results were consistent with the expected changes associated with global warming.

The satellite temperature trends largely agreed with trends measured by nine buoys in the Great Lakes, Earth's largest group of freshwater lakes in terms of total surface area and volume.

The lake temperature trends were also in agreement with independent surface air temperature data from NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York. In certain regions, such as the Great Lakes and northern Europe, water bodies appear to be warming more quickly than surrounding air temperature.

Tahoe analysis: Climate Change Forecasts

UC Davis scientists have issued the most detailed forecast to date of likely climate-change effects at Lake Tahoe, complete with estimates of when those effects might be seen and how big they might be.

Their findings suggest that even under the most optimistic projections:
* The average snowpack in the Tahoe Basin will decline by 40 to 60 percent by the year 2100.
* Floods will increase in the middle of the century.
* Prolonged droughts will become more common at the end of the century.
* A new threat to the lake's unique ecology, one that will come from the bottom of the lake, will become important by the second half of the century.

The report was written for the U.S. Forest Service's Pacific Southwest Research Station. Its lead authors are Robert Coats, a UC Davis researcher and consulting hydrologist, John Reuter, associate director of the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, and Geoff Schladow, the center's director.

"Public dollars are funding restoration programs in the Tahoe region, which is a special place for millions of people," Schladow said. "For these programs to succeed, resource managers need to know what to expect in the coming decades.

"Will we have more or less snow, rain and runoff? Will the erosion controls and stormwater basins we are devising now still be useful in 30 or 50 years? What impact might climate change have for Lake Tahoe's water quality and aquatic ecology?" Schladow said.

In recent years, UC Davis researchers have drawn on 100 years of data to describe changes in temperature and precipitation that have already occurred in the Tahoe region.

The new report combines those findings with sophisticated computer models to produce detailed local projections out to the year 2100.

The scientists considered two possible future carbon emission scenarios: one business as usual, in which population growth and national and international policies affecting global climate change remain unchanged, and the other optimistic, assuming slower growth and aggressive climate action.

"While there is always some uncertainty when projecting this far into the future, the results appear reasonable," Reuter said. "They provide environmental managers and scientists with our first detailed glimpse of the potential impact of climate change on precipitation, runoff, water quality, and plant and animal resources in Lake Tahoe."

This glimpse gives scientists and resource managers a better chance of taking strategic steps to minimize coming impacts of climate change.

Those potential impacts include:

Precipitation

No strong increase in the amount of annual precipitation was predicted. However, the Tahoe Basin will see a continuing shift from snowfall to rain, as well as earlier snowmelt and runoff. Based on the modeling scenarios, by the end of the century, precipitation in some years could be all rain and no snow. The peak snowmelt in the Upper Truckee River will occur four to six weeks earlier by the end of the century.

Water flow and quality

Floods will be larger and more frequent in the middle of the century. Peak water flows in the Upper Truckee River, the largest river flowing into Lake Tahoe, will more than double, with the future 100-year flood resembling today's "1,000-year flood." Such high streamflows will threaten regional infrastructure (such as roads and bridges), the authors said.

In the case of water quality, the model simulations showed that, even though more stormwater runoff is forecast, today's best management practices will be able to accommodate the bulk of the increase. The simulations showed that predicted growth in runoff will cause only a 10 percent decline in the performance of urban stormwater control devices configured to current requirements.

Droughts

Droughts will be more severe, especially toward the end of the century and on the east side of the basin.

Truckee River water supply

Toward the end of the century, there are likely to be longer periods when the lake falls below its natural rim and water stops flowing into the Truckee River. (In the last 110 years, the lake has fallen beneath its natural rim on only 20 occasions, and only for a few months or years at a time.)

Under the "business as usual" scenario, these periods could be as long as 10 to 20 years. This would eliminate a large part of the downstream water supply for Reno, Pyramid Lake and agriculture. Under the "optimistic" scenario, these periods would last several years at a time and occur more frequently than in the past.

Lake turnover (vertical mixing)

The new analysis confirms the researchers' 2008 warning that climate change is likely to greatly alter water circulation in Lake Tahoe. By the second half of the 21st century, there are likely to be decades-long periods when the lake stops mixing to the bottom. (Historically, this complete mixing or turnover has occurred once every four years, on average.)

Turnover carries oxygen from the surface to the bottom of the lake. Without oxygen, a large part of the lake will be inhospitable to trout and other game fish.

Lake clarity may be impacted, as well. Prolonged absence of mixing could start a physical-chemical process resulting in the release of large amounts of phosphorus from the lake's bottom sediments. If this phosphorus reaches the surface, it will feed algae. Algae are one factor contributing to reduced water clarity. In addition, when algae sink to the bottom and decompose, oxygen is taken from the deep water, thus creating a downward spiral in water quality and clarity.

The authors conclude that public programs at Lake Tahoe to restore lake water quality (such as the Environmental Improvement Program and best management practices) are needed more than ever.

"The Total Maximum Daily Load program, which prioritizes fine-particle removal to improve clarity, may be the most important local action to be taken to help mitigate against climate change," Schladow said. "Phosphorus, the limiting nutrient at Lake Tahoe, will be reduced in direct proportion to the removal of fine particles, and this will help reduce the oxygen demand of the lake and increase its resilience to change."

There is little time to waste, said Robert Coats.

"Lake Tahoe is very close to at least two tipping points. First, a decrease in deep mixing could trigger abrupt changes in water quality and clarity. Second, our modeling results show that a decades-long shut-off of lake outflow by the end of the century is likely, cutting off a large part of the water supply for Reno and other downstream users."

"When we add the expected terrestrial impacts of increased drought - especially tree deaths and wildfire - it is clear that by 2100, the Tahoe Basin will be different from the one we know today," Coats concluded.

The new report has value to water resource managers beyond the Tahoe Basin, since many other lakes and reservoirs are likely to be affected by climate change. "Our team came away convinced of the value of early collaboration between the science community and regional resource managers," Reuter said.

The study was funded by the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, through the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act.

The report's research collaborators included Goloka Sahoo (UC Davis), Mike Dettinger (U.S. Geological Survey and Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego), Brent Wolfe (Northwest Hydraulic Consultants), John Riverson (Tetra Tech, Inc.) and Mariza Costa-Cabral (Hydrology Futures, LLC).

Rubber mats killing Tahoe's clams

Rubber mats laid atop beds of Lake Tahoe's invading clams seem to have done their deadly job, according to reports from the Tahoe Resource Conservation District.

In early November, divers removed mats from two half-acre-sized swaths of clam-infested lake bottom. While data still are being analyzed, the test indicates the mats appear to be the most effective weapon against Tahoe's Asian clam population, experts have said.

"There are definitely lots of visibly dead clams," said Kim Boyd, an invasive species specialist with the Tahoe Resource Conservation District. "It looks very promising."

The mats, measuring 10 feet wide and 100 feet long, kill clams by robbing them of oxygen and nutrients. The mats were laid on the lake bottom in July at Marla Bay and South Lake Tahoe's Lakeside Marina.

The $648,000 experiment was built on a previous test in 2009 suggesting "bottom barriers" were effective in killing the dime-sized clams. But this one targeted them on a larger scale. Scientists first noticed Asian clams in Tahoe's waters in 2002, but they have since exploded in number, infesting a large part of the southeast corner of the lake. They also have become established on a football field-sized piece of lake bottom near the mouth of Tahoe's landmark Emerald Bay.

Clams can adversely impact Tahoe's sensitive ecology and are linked to blooms of noxious algae. A bigger danger, experts say, is that the clams could elevate calcium levels in the lake's waters to the point they could support populations of quagga or zebra mussels, which would have devastating effects on Tahoe's ecology and economy.

"The fear is Asian clams could facilitate the introduction of the quagga," said Geoffrey Schladow, director of the University of California, Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center.

Researchers now will study the areas the mats were laid to determine how quickly Asian clams recolonize on the bottom. They also want to study long-term impacts on other macroinvertebrates native to the lake, such as pea clams, Boyd said.

Other, smaller tests are planned in Marla Bay to gauge effectiveness of the mats in killing Asian clams during the winter, when cold water temperatures are thought to shut down their metabolism and make them invulnerable to this particular method of control, Boyd said. If bottom barriers still can be effectively used in winter, she said they would prove much more valuable over the long run.

By late February, researchers plan to install some barriers in Emerald Bay to determine their stability when encountering underwater turbulence produced by paddle-wheel tour boats, Boyd said. Scientists said they hope to begin using the mats to kill Emerald Bay's clams after next summer's boating season.

While the barriers appear effective, Asian clams probably will always have an unwelcome presence at Lake Tahoe, Schladow said.

"Eliminating them probably isn't feasible. Controlling them could be possible," Schladow said.

Photo: UC Davis

Funds OK'd for cloud seeding, boat inspections

A program to boost the amount of snow falling during winter storms at Lake Tahoe can proceed this winter following action by the Truckee Meadows Water Authority on Oct. 20, according to news reports from the Reno Gazette-Journal.

The $155,800 approved by the Truckee Meadows Water Authority to help fund the Desert Research Institute's cloud-seeding program was among more than $723,000 worth of projects designed to protect the Truckee River and the region's water supplies.

Money also was approved to expand a program to inspect boats for the presence of mussels and other invasive species from Lake Tahoe to other area water bodies, including Boca and Stampede reservoirs.

Added to $100,000 already promised by the Western Regional Water Commission, the $155,800 approved by TMWA will ensure the program proceeds this winter.

Boat inspections
The authority also voted to provide $296,000 to begin inspecting boats for mussels and other invasive species at area lakes and reservoirs, including Boca, Stampede, Prosser Creek and Martis Creek reservoirs, as well as Donner, Independence and Weber lakes.

Boat inspections have been under way at Lake Tahoe since 2008, but experts said it's important to expand that effort to other water bodies within the Truckee River system. Inspections are anticipated to begin in May.

Lake Tahoe Concours d'Elegance returns Aug. 12-13

New dates of Friday, Aug. 12, and Saturday, Aug. 13, 2011, have been announced for the 39th annual showing of the renown Lake Tahoe Concours d'Elegance wooden boat show, presented by the Tahoe Yacht Club Foundation at the Sierra Boat Company, Carnelian Bay.

"After holding the show over Father's Day weekend in 2009 and 2010, we're excited to have an agreement with Sierra Boat Company that enables us to return to our traditional August dates," Foundation President Dave Olson said. "This will get us well past all the Father's Day gatherings, and June graduations and weddings that have been conflicts for both our boat exhibitors and show attendees these past two years."

The featured Marque Class for 2011 will be a very rare but popular one: Gar Wood - the Gentleman's Runabout. First produced in 1922, these powerful and luxurious mahogany craft built by inventor, industrialist and record-setting speedboat racer Garfield A. Wood ranged in size from 22 to 33 feet, and were described as the "aristocrat of motorboats."

The Foundation also announced Rivas, the Italian synonym for distinctive style and elegance since the '50s, as the Marque Class for 2012.

Additional information on the 39th annual show and social functions of 2011 Wooden Boat Week, starting with the Opening Night Gala on Thursday, Aug. 11, will be available shortly on at http://www.laketahoeconcours.com/.

TRCD seeks new board members

The South Lake Tahoe-based nonprofit environmental organization Tahoe Resource Conservation District is seeking two new board members to serve on its five-person Board of Directors. New board members, appointed by the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors, will serve voluntary, four-year terms from Nov. 30, 2010, through Nov. 30, 2014.

Interested applicants are required to reside and own property in the Lake Tahoe Basin in either Placer or El Dorado County and are asked to submit a letter of interest along with a county committee application (available online at www.co.el-dorado.ca.us) to the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors by Nov. 1, 2010, to be eligible for consideration. Decisions regarding new board members are expected to be announced the week of Nov. 15, 2010.

”Tahoe RCD plays a vital role in preserving and restoring natural resources in the Lake Tahoe Basin,” said Director Dave Roberts. "And, we rely heavily on our Board to help direct our efforts and connect us with resources, stakeholders and issues within the community.”


Current board members have a diverse set of backgrounds, with experience in not-for-profit management, private business, education, resource management and real estate. Any eligible applicants with an interest in Tahoe Basin environmental and conservation issues are encouraged to apply. New applicants or anyone from the general public are invited to attend Tahoe RCD board meetings, the next of which will be held on Oct. 12, 2010.


Tahoe RCD’s mission is to promote the conservation and improvement of the Lake Tahoe Basin’s soil, water, and related natural resources by providing leadership, information, programs, and technical assistance to all land managers, owners, organizations, and residents. Tahoe RCD is a non-regulatory, grant funded, not-for-profit agency that works with a variety of partner agencies to implement programs and outreach, which currently focus on erosion control, runoff infiltration, terrestrial and aquatic invasive species control, and conservation landscaping.


For details, visit www.tahoercd.org.

Successful removal of aquatic invasive weeds in Lake Tahoe

From Tahoe Resource Conservation District:

South Lake Tahoe, Calif. – Efforts to remove approximately one-third of the Eurasian watermilfoil infestation in Lake Tahoe’s Emerald Bay using experimental technologies has been deemed an early success.

Eurasian watermilfoil is a fast-spreading aquatic invasive weed that has been on the rise in Lake Tahoe since its introduction more than a decade ago. A partnership including Tahoe Resource Conservation District, California Department of Parks and Recreation, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center and subcontractor A.C.E. Diving covered approximately 8,500 square feet of lake bottom near the pier and swimming beach of Emerald Bay using 8’ x 40’ reusable bottom barrier strips in June and hand removal of remaining weeds. On Sept. 14, the barriers were removed to reveal just sand, with no signs of invasive weeds below the barriers.


The project’s objective was to focus efforts on the removal of a significant portion of one known, discreet infestation site, with the goal of completely removing all visible plant growth.

According to California Department of Parks and Recreation Environmental Scientist Dan Shaw, “We’re very optimistic about the initial results of this pilot project because it demonstrates that it is possible to eradicate the majority of an infestation in a specific locale. These findings will help us establish a control plan for aquatic invasive weed populations in Emerald Bay and other afflicted areas of Lake Tahoe.”


Participating resource managers are implementing a prioritized strategy for the effective removal of aquatic invasive weeds based on risk of spread, previous removal projects, public benefit and likelihood of removal success. The swimming beach and pier area in Emerald Bay was identified for the pilot project because it meets all of these criteria. Surveys will be conducted in subsequent seasons to document the long-term success of the removal efforts. It is anticipated that future control efforts will only require more limited maintenance removal to keep the swim beach and pier free of aquatic invasive weeds, greatly reducing control costs.

It is estimated that 3 acres of Eurasian watermilfoil have established in three distinct locations within Emerald Bay, near Parson's Rock, the Swim Beach and Avalanche Beach.

For more information, visit http://www.tahoercd.org/.

TRPA places hiatus on shorezone applications

The bistate Tahoe Regional Planning Agency has imposed a 90-day operational hiatus on applications relating to buoys, piers and boat ramps. The decision came on Sept. 22, less than a week after a federal judge ordered the TRPA to reconsider proposed shorezone amendments.

“The hiatus will allow staff to sort out the legal and operational implications of the court ruling,” TRPA spokeswoman Julie Regan told the Sierra Sun.

The 90-day hiatus — enacted at the Sept. 22 governing board meeting at the North Tahoe Event Center in Kings Beach — means lakefront property owners cannot file applications to bring existing buoys into conformance with the agency's proposed ordinance updates on October 2008.

On Thursday, Sept. 16, U.S. District Court Senior Judge Lawrence Karlton ruled in favor of the League to Save Lake Tahoe and the Tahoe Sierra Club in a challenge to the amendments, which would have allowed the placement of 1,862 new mooring buoys and construction of 128 private piers, 10 public piers, six new boat ramps and 235 boat slips on Lake Tahoe.

The conservation groups filed a lawsuit challenging the amendments in November 2008, a month after TRPA governing board approval of the amendments.

In the 66-page ruling, Karlton found several provisions in the approved amendments were “arbitrary and capricious.” The judge also found the shorezone amendments would be ineffective in achieving many of the agency's environmental goals, known as “thresholds.”

Governing board member Mara Bresnick said the direction board gave to staff, following six hours of closed session deliberation on Sept. 22, has two components.

“The internal staff will begin evaluating the ramifications of the court ruling on operations,” she said. “The other component is the legal side, where the legal committee and the legal team will consider the legal options available to the agency.”

Those options include an appeal of Karlton's order, or a motion to amend or clarify the order, Bresnick said. TRPA will have 30 days from Sept. 16 — the date the ruling was issued — to file an appeal, according to Jill Rozier with TRPA's legal team.

Tahoe Lakefront Owners Association Executive Director Jan Brisco — who represents homeowners attempting to place mooring buoys in the lake near their properties — said the hiatus is unsurprising.

“The TRPA has given themselves a cushion of time sufficient for analyzing all the available options,” Brisco said. “As one of the largest stakeholders in this matter, we will be there every step of the way and offer any help we can.”

Maritime Annex Open House

The Tahoe Maritime Museum is hosting an Open House at the Truckee Annex on Oct. 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with David "Smitty" Smith. View vessels and artifacts not currently on display at the museum.

The Annex is located at 10434 River Park Place. For details, call (530) 525-9253, ext. 104, or visit www.tahoemaritimemuseum.org.

"S.S. Tahoe" model & lecture

The Tahoe Maritime Museum hosts Alan J. Zulberti for a showing of his "S.S. Tahoe" model and a lecture from 11 a.m. to noon on Sept. 14. Zulberti will talke about his three-year project in building an operational model of the "S.S. Tahoe."

Built nearly 115 years after the original ship was launched at Glenbrook in 1896, the model is hand-built, has a riveted copper hull with more than 5,000 rivets and is powered by the only known twin engine steam plant. Six feet long and radio controlled, the ship provides the sounds of a steam whistle, a ships bell and steam cuffing. The model is fast with a trial run at a scale speed of 36.9 knots.

Zulberti is an active member of the San Francisco Model Yacht Club. This is his third model boat, which follows his construction of a WW II Patrol Torpedo boat, which received first place in Military and Best in Show a few years ago. The PT-588 also was the subject of a six-page feature article in a national magazine, Ships in Scale.

The model will be on hand during the slide show presentation. Lecture is free with admission. Adults $5. Members and children under 12 are free. Visit www.tahoemaritimemuseum.org.

Lodge-to-Lodge Kayak Tour

Experience a multi-day kayak adventure along the Lake Tahoe Water Trail with Tahoe Adventure Company from Sept. 23 to 26.

The multi-day kayak and stay package along the West, North and East shores of Lake Tahoe features early morning guided paddles spotting local wildlife and learning the unique natural and human history of this special region. By afternoon, arrive at the lakefront hotel for a hot shower, warm meal and relaxation. The best hotels have been chosen for your comfort and include Sunnyside Lodge, Mourelatos Lakeshore Resort, and the Hyatt Regency.

Call (530) 913-9212 or visit http://www.tahoeadventurecompany.com/.

Fall Paddle Day

The Lake Tahoe Water Trail Committee has set its Fall Paddle Day for Oct. 9 at Zephyr Cove Lodge. The spring paddle in May was snowed out, but you can enjoy the fall paddle. The day includes a guided paddle with researchers at the forefront of protecting Lake Tahoe from aquatic invasive species, followed by a barbecue lunch on the beach.

The cost is $30 per person and $50 per couple and includes lunch; water trail members save $5. Kayak rentals will be available on site and advance registration is required. Registration opens online on Sept. 9 at www.laketahoewatertrail.org.

Sand Harbor launch closing

The public boat launch at Sand Harbor State Park on the East Shore of Lake Tahoe will be closed after Labor Day, due to low water. The parking area will remain open.

Lecture series, open house

The Tahoe Maritime Museums wraps its summer lecture series on Sept. 9 with “Preserving Tahoe History Through a Camera Lens” with Peter Goin, University of Nevada Regents and Foundation Professor of Arts. The lecture starts at 5:30 p.m. with light refreshments at 5 p.m. The cost is $8 for adults and free for children under 12.

The museum also will open the doors to its massive Truckee Annex on Sept. 11. The annex is only open a few times a year for public viewing of the museum’s extensive collection. David “Smitty” Smith will be leading tours. The annex will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $5 and free for children under 12. The annex is located at 10434 River Park Place in Truckee. For details, visit www.tahoemaritimemusuem.org or call (530) 525-9253.

TRPA fines boater $5,000

A Los Angeles resident was fined $5,000 by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency on Aug. 25 for evading Lake Tahoe boat inspectors in late-June, according to news reports.

In a unanimous decision, TRPA’s legal committee agreed to the fine and recommended that Mark Kanev of Los Angeles make a public apology for purposefully evading inspectors after his vessel was recommended for decontamination.

Tahoe Regional Planning Agency officials reported that Kanew tried to launch his vessel on June 28 at Cave Rock. Inspectors turned him away after he told inspectors that the boat had been in southern Utah's quagga-mussel-infested Sand Hollow Reservoir. After finding water in the boat, inspectors ordered a full decontamination scheduled for July 1.

Inspectors later learned that Kanew took the vessel to the Meyers inspection station on June 28 and gave different information about the boat's origin. Kanev then launched his boat at Meeks Bay. TRPA officials found the vessel moored in Rubicon Bay on July 1 and had it removed from Lake Tahoe.

The TRPA reported that the water in Meeks Bay Marina and the area the boat had been moored was tested for quagga and zebra mussel DNA. The tests indicated that no quagga or zebra mussels were present. The boater is the first to be sanctioned by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.

Roadside inspections to close

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency will close two of its roadside boat inspection stations in early to mid-September, according to community liaison Jeff Cowen. Roadside inspection and decontamination stations are been operating throughout the summer with four stations at Spooner Summit, Northstar, Alpine Meadows and Meyers.

The stations were set up for the mandatory inspections of quagga and zebra mussels for all vessels into Lake Tahoe. The invasive quagga and zebra species are miniscule, but can wreak havoc on the Lake if they are introduced. These mussels, which are hitching rides on boats and trailers and in ballast tanks, bladders and live wells, are spreading across the West. Quagga and zebra mussels will spread rapidly once they are introduced to a lake and will gorge on the food supply, kill fish and pollute the clarity of the lake.

The Spooner Summit station on Highway 50 will operate until Sept. 7, with the Alpine Meadows Road station off Highway 89 closing Sept. 15. Roadside stations at Northstar and in Meyers will operate until Sept. 30. The stations are open daily from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

However, mandatory inspections will continue through the winter at all open launch sites. The addition of roadside inspection stations to the Lake Tahoe AIS Program have been funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. For details on the mandatory boat inspections, visit www.protecttahoe.org or call (888) 824-6267.

Staff changes at museum

The departure of Heather Leonard, director of operations, this month from the Tahoe Maritime Museum will bring some staff changes to the museum. Heather, who was been a valued addition to the museum and the community, will be relocating with her husband to Houston later this month.

While the museum looks for a permanent director, Richard Lashbrook, a long-time Friend of the Museum, volunteer and member since 2001 will take the helm as Interim Director.

Patty Williams has joined the staff as development associate, and Heather Laederich, a part-time summer staff associate, has accepted a full-time role as exhibits associate.

Water shuttle shutters

Get On Tahoe, the water shuttle started earlier this summer by the Tahoe Diver’s Conservancy, has shuttered its service due to lack of interest. The Tahoe Diver’s Conservancy reported that it had to stop service after low ticket sales and a lack of access to marinas and docks around the Lake. The shuttle offered service on the North and East shores.

Lake Tahoe clarity steady in 2009

Lake Tahoe clarity held steady in 2009 for the ninth year in a row, but remains significantly poorer than in previous decades, according to UC Davis scientists who have monitored the lake for more than 40 years.

The lake was clear to an average depth of 68.1 feet in 2009, the researchers found.
That’s down from 102.4 feet in 1968, when UC Davis researchers first measured the lake’s clarity.

Geoff Schladow, director of the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, said the latest test results may be cause for some optimism.

Even though precipitation was much higher in 2009 than in 2008 or 2007, the annual average clarity remained relatively stable, Schladow noted. Rainfall and snowmelt wash water-clouding particles into the lake.

Another hopeful finding: 2009 summer clarity readings were much better than 2008 summer readings. Overall, clarity during the summer months of 2009 was 10 feet better than in summer of 2008.

UC Davis researchers measure the lake's clarity throughout the year by lowering a white Secchi disk, named after its inventor, Italian scientist Angelo Secchi, at two fixed locations. The depth at which the disk, the size of a dinner plate, disappears from sight is referred to as the Secchi depth, a measurement of clarity. For more information, visit http://news.ucdavis.edu./

Invasive species forum

The Truckee Region Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Program is the topic of a Sept. 3 meeting to gather input for a draft strategic plan. The plan will recommend required mandatory inspections of all motorized watercraft on Donner Lake and Boca, Stampede and Prosser Creek reservoirs beginning as early as next summer.

The forum is at 7:30 p.m. at the Truckee Community Center. For more information, call Craig Threshie at (530) 550-5252 or e-mail cthreshie@tahoercd.org.

Lake Explorations lecture

Tahoe Maritime Museum hosts its next lecture series on Aug. 26 featuring Martin McClellan from New Millennium Dive Expeditions at 5:30 p.m. to discuss “Lake Explorations.”

On July 20, 2002, New Millennium Dive Expeditions reached the scuttled “S.S. Tahoe” in 400’ of water off Glenbrook in a record-setting high-altitude dive. New Millennium aided in the effort to have the site named to the National Register of Historic Places, the first such designation in the country.

Refreshments will be served at 5 p.m. The lecture series is $8 for adults and free for children under 12. For details, visit http://www.tahoemaritimemusuem.org/.

Ta-Hoe Nalu Paddle Festival

The Lake Tahoe Paddleboard Association hosts a number of events throughout the year, with the upcoming Ta-Hoe Nalu Paddle Festival on Aug. 21 and 22. The festival features six races starting in Kings Beach with $20,000 in cash and prizes up for grabs.

Races include prone, SUP and OC1 classes for a 10-mile distance race, 6-mile open class and Elite 14’ Class, 3-mile buoy race and a four-person SUP Team Relay for 6 miles. There also is a 1-mile race for ages 12 and under. Enjoy a luau and live concert from 5 to 10 p.m. on Aug. 21.

Entry fees range from $30 to $100, depending on the race. World Paddle Association and LTPA members receive a 10 percent discount for races. The luau and concert on Aug. 21 is $30 for adults and $15 for children 12 and under. For details or to register, visit www.ta-hoenalu.com or e-mail ernie@ta-hoenalu.com. E-mail to volunteer, as well.

The art of paddleboarding

OK, there’s really not an art to paddleboarding. It takes a little balance, some fineness and a love of being on the water. Give it a try and you’ll pick it up pretty quick.

What the sport does have is a legion of die-hard fans that are in love with Stand-Up Paddleboarding, or SUP, as it’s called.

The attraction is obvious, even if you haven’t tried it. Come on, you know you stare at paddleboarders when you see them. You yell questions to them from the beach and piers, from kayaks, boats and personal watercraft. Everyone is fascinated by the sport. So, what are you waiting for? Give it a try.

Here are the basics: You stand up on a paddleboard – a modified surf board at its roots – and you paddle across the water. Flat water or rolling, ocean, stream or lake, you can paddleboard.

On a busy weekend at any of the hot spots for beach-lovers, you’ll see every age, every physique and every ability level on a paddleboard.

Age isn’t a factor, either. If you can stand, you can paddleboard. Having trouble getting up? Try again. The trick is to balance on the board.

And, it doesn’t even have to be warm to paddleboard. You can paddleboard year-round, as many locals do. You also can have someone kneel on the front of your board, including your dog, if he/she listens better than my dogs.

Paddleboarding has its roots in the Hawaiian Islands and was born from surf instructors standing on their boards and using paddles while teaching large groups to surf. It eventually evolved into its own sport and started to become popular on the mainland about a decade ago. Now, there are competitions around the world, including many popular ones in Tahoe, with an industry of hybrid boards, gear and magazines devoted to the sport.

Getting started

Head to the beach – nearly any beach around – and rent a paddleboard. I recently made a stop at Tahoe Paddle & Oar in Kings Beach to rent two standup paddleboards for me and my pal Emily Sullivan. We signed up and headed to the beach across the street, where we were handed our paddles and personal flotation devices, PFDs. The length of the paddle is based on your height.

We walked down to the water where are paddleboards were waiting for us. A paddleboard looks much like a surfboard with a fin, and many rentals are outfitted with a bungee cord on one end to stash your PFD and shoes.

Here’s something I learned: The U.S. Coast Guard classifies a paddleboard as a vessel, and you are therefore required to carry a PFD. It also means that all paddleboarders 12 and under must wear a PFD (under 13 in Nevada).

The trickiest part is standing up on the board. The goal once you stand up is to have your feet shoulder’s width apart and centered on the board near the handle or slightly in front of it.

If the water is shallow enough, and with a little practice, you can just step onto the board. I have not mastered this technique yet. So, you want to kneel on your board with your knees over the handle and shoulder’s width apart. Hold the paddle in one hand, put one foot flat on the board while using your hands to balance. Then, put the other foot flat on the board and stand up. Don’t step forward, back or to the side. You’ll end up in the water.

Also, don’t plant your paddle in the sand and use it to push your body up to stand. It’s harder, you’ll probably fall and you really look silly doing it. Just plant your feet right where you’re kneeling, and, voila, you’re up.

It will feel a little strange at first as the movement of the water under your feet has you wobbling. But, you’re more steady than it feels your first time out.

If the water is too shallow for your fin to clear the sand, you’ll have to paddle out with your arms or the paddle. Get in the kneeling position and paddle until you’re clear.

You also can kneel or lie on your stomach to paddleboard – known as prone paddleboarding. Tahoe Paddle & Oar also rents prone boards and they’re made to lay or kneel on. There are even prone categories for competitors.

Now, that you’re up, it’s time to paddle. Wrap your hand over the grip of the paddle with your other hand on the shaft, no more than shoulder’s wide apart. Also, for stand-up paddleboarding, the curve of the blade is pointing toward the nose of the board. Then, you want a gentle vertical sweep of the paddle. If you reach out, you’ll fall. Use gentle strokes while you get the feel of the board.

You want to stay loose and go with the waves; don’t be stiff. You’ll want a slight bend in your knees and don’t bend over to paddle; you’ll get a sore back.

Switch your paddle from side to side to keep the board heading straight. You can turn by paddling at an angle, just like kayaking, or you can back paddle, a new trick Emily taught me.

Hold your paddle in the water to stop it from moving forward, then gently back paddle to pivot the front of the board in the direction you want. Then, resume paddling. Nice trick, Emily.

You can move pretty fast on the board, or go as slow as you want. We ventured from Kings Beach heading west passing the beaches and private homes, past North Tahoe Marina, Wild Goose Restaurant and the Holliday House before turning back. We answered questions from curious onlookers on piers and in kayaks, and enjoyed the beautiful sunny morning.

Mornings are the best time when the water is at its calmest on Lake Tahoe, but with a little practice, wind and waves won’t stop your paddle adventure.

Tahoe Paddle & Oar is located in Kings Beach at 8299 N. Lake Blvd. They offer daily rentals for stand-up and prone paddleboards, kayaks, surfboards and canoes. Stand Up Tahoe offers guided paddleboard tours through Tahoe Paddle & Oar, as well.

For rental information, call (530) 581-3029 or visit http://www.tahoepaddle.com./ Tahoe Paddle & Oar also offers a Women’s Stand-Up Paddleboarding clinic on Wednesdays and Saturdays. For paddleboard tours with Stand Up Tahoe, call (530) 318-0885.

The joy of sailing

I love to sail. There’s something about the wind in the sails and the quietness of the water around you, the feel of control (or lack of it) when you’re easing out or trimming the sails, the way the tiller feels in your hands, I love everything about sailing.

Years ago, my friend Leigh introduced me to sailing, and I fell in love with it. We would go out often, and he would show me a few things, but I never really understood how to sail.

So, I decided to take a class. I’ve put it off for years, letting other commitments take precedence over the sailing class. But, this year, I was determined to take a class. Luckily, Truckee Donner Parks and Rec had a recent opening in the adult sailing class and I joined two other would-be sailors – Lauri Wall of Truckee and Martin Bessolo of San Rafael – for a weekend learning to sail on Donner Lake.

We met at West End Beach with instructor James Foster, for some class time on the beach. But, the best way to learn to sail, is to do it.

We loaded onto a pedal boat (yes, a pedal boat) to head over to the district’s 21’ Macgregor sailboat for class. The parts of a sailboat are many and each with a unique name, we discovered as class got under way. Fortunately, most people in Tahoe have spent time on a boat, so the basics of bow vs. stern (front of the boat vs. the back of the boat), port (left) and starboard (right) and hull are familiar terms. But, jib, headstay, mainsheet, boom vang, tack, luff, padeye and halyard had us all stumped at the start. James was patient and will we learned the parts, then moved on to practicing knots we would need to sail – the figure 8, the bowline, a square knot (to tie two pieces of rope together), the cleat and clove hitch, along with coiling rope. I never thought knots could be so much fun.

With our knots ready to go, we started to rig the boat. First, the jib sail to the jib halyard (attaching it to the mast) and the jib sheet (the ropes we’ll use to sail with). Next, attaching the mainsail to the main halyard (again to the mast), feeding the sail into the boom. Now, we were ready to get under way.

We used the motor to clear the shoreline and raised the sails. James started at the tiller directing us when to trim (tighten) and when to ease out the sheets on the jib and main. We each practiced when and how to trim and eased out on the sheets.

The constantly shifting winds of our first day on Donner Lake had us tacking throughout the day – changing direction to find the wind. For a small lake like Donner, we spent a good portion of the day zigzagging across the lake, tacking to change our direction to follow the wind.

With those basics down, the three of each took turns rotating through the positions: tiller, mainsail and jib, while James coached us. It’s a delicate balance of easing out on the sails to find the wind and trimming them to maximize your position. At the tiller, you’re at the helm, keeping your eye out for the wind direction, while watching out for obstacles and overseeing a tack or jibe (changing direction depending on where the wind is coming from).

When you’re working the sheets or the tiller, something comes over you. A serene peace on the water, that also is a thrilling adventure as you try to marry wind and water using sails and ropes to carry the boat. You have to learn to sail, but you also have to feel it.

We learned to watch the water, the wind and the sails. But, it’s the indescribable feel of the tiller when the wind catches the sail in the perfect spot, or when the sails start to luff and you have to navigate back to catch the wind.

Over the course of the two-day class, we spent 90 percent of our time sailing. From practicing Man Overboard drills – using a Figure 8 sailing maneuver – to jibing (changing direction with the wind behind you), to experiencing the bliss we each felt as we took the tiller and the wind filled the sails, the class was amazing.

I felt confident of my new-found knowledge and abilities, and am ready to spend more time sailing this summer. Now, if I can only get Santa to bring me a sailboat this year.

(Photo: James Foster)

Tahoe Vista boat launch closing

The public boat launch at Tahoe Vista will be closing on Aug. 9, due to low water levels, according to NTPUD officials.

Water levels are extremely low outside the harbor, NTPUD said in a press realease, advising boaters to use other launches at Sand Harbor and Lake Forest.

The ramp is open from noon to 6:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday to Sunday, until it closes for the season on Aug. 9.

For details, visit www.northtahoeparks.com.

“Deadliest Catch” talk

If you missed the fantastic talk at the Tahoe Maritime Museum earlier this month with Cpt. Monte Colburn from the Discovery Channel’s “Deadliest Catch,” you’ll get a second chance to hear him on July 31.

Cpt. Monte, along with his brother Cpt. Keith Colburn, of “Wizard” will be speaking at the Silver Legacy in Reno from 4 to 6 p.m. The talk will include a video presentation, questions and answers, autograph signing and “Wizard” merchandise will be available for purchase. The talk is free. For details, call (775) 329-4777.

Photo: Cpt. Monte Colburn

Wooden Boat Classic

The South Tahoe Wooden Boat Classic will be at the Tahoe Keys Marina on July 30 from noon to 5 p.m. and July 31 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This year the boat show will feature more than 65 antique and classic boats and will be honoring the 70^th birthday of the “Thunderbird,” complete with birthday cake. View amazing '60s drag race boats including “Golden Komotion.” And, the Tahoe Maritime Museum will be offering free wooden boat rides if you sign up for membership at the show (you’ll need to sign up for more than the basic level).

You also can enjoy wine tastings, food and vendor booths and more. Tickets are $20 at the gate, with discounted tickets available at Raley’s, Nob Hill or Bel Air Family Market in Nevada or California. For details, visit www.tahoewoodenboats.com.

Gathering of Gar Woods

The 16th Annual Gathering of Gar Woods will be held on July 24 at Obexer’s Marina in Homewood. The Gathering is the only boat show that exclusively celebrates the boats built by Garfield Wood. The show starts at 10:30 a.m., with a luncheon at 12:30 p.m. For details, visit www.westernrunabouts.com.

Water ski weekend

Water ski and wakeboard enthusiasts are hoping to bring the annual Water Ski Carnival back to the West Shore and are hoping to drum up interest by hosting festivities in Homewood next week including a water ski and wakeboarding exhibition, at a roundtable talk and exhibit at the Tahoe Maritime Museum.

Water skiing was invented in 1922 by Ralph Samuelson of Lake City, Minnesota, but it didn’t take hold on the West Coast until the 1930s. The first water ski exposition was held at Lake Tahoe in 1940, with the Tahoe Yacht Club organizing the first Water Ski Carnival at Chamber’s Landing in 1953.

The carnival featured water skiing, slalom skiing, trick skiing and aquaplane competitions, according to Warren Fallat, an organizer for this year’s Water Ski Weekend. Aquaplanes were popular in the 40s, and were basically a board a skier would stand on while holding two ropes being pulled behind a boat. In the 1970s, the carnival expanded to include Delta Wing Kites, with a water skier skiing behind a boat with a kite, which looks like a hang glider. The skier would compete with the kites in a slalom course. Today, the sport has evolved to include wakeboarding and wakeskating.

The Water Ski Carnival continued on the West Shore, usually at Chamber’s or in Homewood, through the late 90s, before it ended, Fallat said, due to operating costs and the lack of an organizing group. Now, water ski enthusiasts are hoping to the return the Carnival to the West Shore in the coming years.

“Most of the water ski history is from the West Shore because it’s ideally suited for water skiing,” Fallat said, because of weather conditions. With high winds on the East and North shores, the coves of the West Shore provide better conditions for water skiing.

The roundtable on July 22 at 5:30 p.m. at the Maritime Museum will feature local water skiing experts including Lee Schmidt of High Sierra Water Ski School; Randy Walker, a founder of the Water Ski Carnival; Les Bartlett, who operated one of the first water ski schools on the North Shore in the 1950s; Ron Rupp, who also ran a water ski school in the 50s; and Mary Jo Miller Shepherd, a renowned water skier. Admission to the talk is $8 and free to museum members and children under 12. There will be refreshments served at 5 p.m.

On July 23, the museum hosts the On-the-Water Exhibition from 8 to 10 a.m. in Homewood off Obexer’s Marina with trick skiing, double skiing, slalom skiing, wakeboarding and wakeskating demonstrations. There will be an announcer for the event, and spectators can watch from the beach or pier at Obexer’s, or may come by boat.

On July 24, visitors can enjoy free admission to the Maritime Museum from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for Living History Day. There also will be a temporary water ski exhibit in the parking lot with a Ski Nautique and other historical items for the day.

There will be free activities for kids with face painting and more. And, enjoy guided tours at noon and 2 p.m.
There also will be a raffle at all three events to benefit the museum with prizes including a Standup Paddleboard rental, a wakeboard and a tubing setup. Tickets are available at the museum. Call (530) 525-9523.

Organizers hope the weekend generates interest to bring the carnival back.

“It’s not necessarily on the table, but it’s certainly on the wish list,” Fallat says.

(Photo: Warren Fallat. Historic photo: Tahoe Maritime Museum)

Killing invasive clams

Lake Tahoe scientists at the University of California, Davis, and the University of Nevada, working with government and conservation organizations, began a novel attempt last week to control the dime-sized Asian clam, which threatens lake clarity.

First observed in the lake in 2002, the Asian clam population in some places now has reached thousands per square yard, mainly along the California-Nevada state line in the southeast corner of the lake.

Once it takes hold, the Asian claim displaces native claims, snails and other organisms relying on the lake clarity, and they foster the growth of green algae, which impacts lake clarity. As well, the clams can foster the invasion of quagga mussels, according to scientists.

The effort to kill the claims involves installing an acre of rubber sheeting on the lake bottom to kill the clams by depriving them of oxygen. The sheeting will remain in place all summer.

That study and the results of this year's acre-scale experiment will be used to help Tahoe Basin agencies develop a clam management strategy.

(Photo: UC Davis)

Living "The Deadliest Catch"

Rolling seas in the frigid waters of the Bering Sea, temperatures that are regularly 30 below and thousands of pounds of steel pots that must be hauled every day – it’s just part of a day’s work for the crew of “Wizard,” one of the featured crab boats on the Discovery Channel’s hit series “Deadliest Catch.”

Capt. Monte Colburn, a lifelong resident of Tahoe and relief captain of “Wizard,” shared some stories and words of wisdom recently at the Tahoe Maritime Museum’s lecture series.

Born in South Lake Tahoe, Colburn and his brother Keith – captain of “Wizard” – moved to the North Shore in the early 1970s, and still call Tahoe home. While the brothers spend the winters crabbing in the Bering Sea, they enjoy the warmer climate of Tahoe each summer.

Cpt. Monte has enjoyed his fair share of adventures working on the crab boats of the Bering Sea, sandwiched between Russia and the United States with the Arctic to the north and the Pacific to the south. Last season he suffered two broken ribs, but has back on “Wizard” after only two weeks.

While he says that he now enjoys the competitive side of crabbing, he didn’t always enjoy it. “I had my first trip, I hated it, I hated my brother for getting me the job,” he says with a laugh. “I got the first check and said I could do it again.”

Despite the physical demands of the job, Cpt. Monte says it’s a job he’s enjoyed since his brother got him his first job on a crab boat in the mid-1980s. He then proceeded to fall into the sea between two crab boats and after hoisting himself onto a buoy, decided to call for help to get back on the ship in case his attempt wasn’t successful.

He worked on “Juno” from the early to late-90s before joining “Wizard” about 10 years ago. “Wizard” has been featured as part of “The Deadliest Catch” for the last three seasons.

“Wizard” is a 155-foot crab boat that began its life as a Navy yard oiler, giving her a large hold that can hold 450,000 lbs. of crab. There is an eight-person crew including Monte as relief captain and his brother Keith as captain, along with first mate, engineer and deck hands. “Wizard” works 24-hours-a-day, with two guys always in their bunks, rotating every six hours.

“Once we start fishing, we don’t stop,” he says.

“The Bering Seas has a way of swallowing people … it takes them in many ways,” Monte said after being asked about the death of Cpt. Phil Harris of “Cornelia Marie” in February from a stroke. Monte says crabbing can be a dangerous job, but the lifestyle, the stress and the poor diets aboard the boats also can threaten their lives. He noted that they are making more of an effort aboard “Wizard” to prepare healthy dinners.

Discovery Channel begin shooting the series in 2005, and off the more than 200 crab boats in the fleet, the few featured in the first season were chosen because they were willing to put up with the camera crew, Monte says. Discovery wasn’t paying, and most of the boats that they approached didn’t want to take on the crews, and care for and feed them. A few said yes and were featured in the early seasons.

“They are in the way … but, they’re all good guys,” Monte said of having the camera crew on board. But, he said almost all of them are extreme cameramen, some of whom have been to the Himalayas, and can handle the harsh conditions.

“The Deadliest Catch” is now seen in 135 countries and has been recognized all over the world from the show, which shoots 18 episodes each year.

“A lot of people don’t get a lot of adventure in their lives,” Monte said of the show’s popularity, where fans can enjoy the adventure he lives.

While the Bering Sea calls Monte to its waters each year, Lake Tahoe calls him home every summer, where he lives from the spring to mid-August.

“I can’t imagine a better place to grow up and also to reside,” he says.

Another crab boat captain that also lived in Tahoe once told him: “When it comes to Tahoe, all our called, but few are chosen.”

These are just a few of the tales Monte shared in a riveting talk at the museum. If you missed it, visit http://www.discovery.com/ where you can see video clips from past seasons. The sixth season is currently airing on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. Visit the Web site for a schedule.

(Photos: Cpt. Monte Colburn)

Tahoe's grand dame: "Thunderbird"

Lake Tahoe’s brilliant waters call many to her from the casual beachgoers to kayakers and standup paddleboarders, from fishers to sailors and boaters. None are more spectacular, however, that the beautifully and lovingly preserved wooden boats that populate her waters in the summer.

Who hasn’t stopped what they’re doing and marveled at these wooden beauties when they pass by, filled with passengers donning large grins (and often chilled cocktails) and captained by proud owners in straw hats or yacht caps. No boat garners so much attention, however, as the “Thunderbird” yacht, the magnificent boat commissioned by the eccentric George Whittell Jr.

While not the largest wooden boat on the Lake (that honor belongs to the “Safari Rose;” see story in this edition), it is the most magnificent. Whittell commissioned the 55’ Hacker Craft in 1939 specifically for his East Shore estate and requested that the hull and cockpit resemble the fuselage of his DC-2 aircraft, also named “Thunderbird.” He also had twin, V-12, 550 hp Kermath engines installed on her. The engines were later replaced with two V-12 Allison aircraft engines, each with 1,100 hp, by casino magnate Bill Harrah, when he purchased the boat from Whittell.

If you’re ever out on the Lake when “Thunderbird” is under way, you’ll likely hear her before she comes into view. The roaring aircraft engines have you instinctively look to the sky before checking the water. The engines are deafening, however, when “Thunderbird” first starts up inside her boathouse.

I recently enjoyed my second ride on “Thunderbird” as she made her way to Carnelian Bay for the annual Concours d’Elegance. It was a beautiful brisk morning with blue skies and calm waters as I drove down the East Shore to the Thunderbird Lodge. Finally, summer had arrived.

I talked with some of the other guests before we boarded the “Thunderbird” for our morning commute to Sierra Boat Company. While the sound was deafening inside the boathouse, the small group was all smiles aboard the magnificent beauty. The mahogany and stainless steel shimmered in the morning sun as we emerged from the boathouse.

While a chase boat captured photographs and video footage of “Thunderbird” in front of the lodge, we waved to the visitors at the lodge, while the crew served drinks from the bar. Everything aboard “Thunderbird” is a study in elegance. Instrument panels shine in the twin pilot houses – one in the rear for guiding her in and out of dock, and one in the front for when she is under way. Mahogany glimmers from the bottom to the top of the boat. There are two leather half-circle couches in the salon with ample room for at least 10 people. The Yacht Ensign flies from the stern, with the California and Nevada flags flanking the “Thunderbird” flag flying above the pilot house in the back.

On the open deck, chairs and benches are set out to take in the full majesty of “Thunderbird.”

Don Mechals and his wife from South Lake Tahoe were among the passengers on board. Don crafted two new tables that double as benches for “Thunderbird.” The teak tables with intricate grate-pattern tops were based on an existing table on the yacht.

Also on board were Greg and Cinda Rice from Michigan. Greg has spent the last two years working on a radio-controlled model of “Thunderbird.” While he’s made use of the Lodge’s archives to research the model, it was his first time to see her in person. Now that he’s seen “Thunderbird” up close, Greg’s says he’ll have to redo some things on his model and anticipates another one to two years of work.

“Thunderbird” is crewed by Capt. Dave Marion and First Mate Mark Taylor , and she is licensed to carry up to 20 passengers.

Her future on Tahoe is not secured, however, explained Bill Watson, manager and curator of the Thunderbird Lodge Preservation Society. With operating costs of $200,000 to $300,000 annually (about $5,000 for an hour), an endowment of $1 to $1.5 million is needed in the next 18 months to ensure “Thunderbird” stays on Lake Tahoe, he said.

“This is America’s most valuable wooden express commuter boat,” Bill says. But, the high cost of maintaining and operating “Thunderbird” at Lake Tahoe puts a drain on the resources of the Lodge.

“It’s going to take the community to keep her here,” he says.

“Thunderbird” is currently owned by the nonprofit Foundation 36, which is dedicated to preserving Nevada’s historic, cultural and natural treasures. The Foundation hopes to transfer ownership to the Preservation Society once an endowment is established to secure the yacht’s future.

Appraised at $5 million, Bill says he regularly receives offers to buy the yacht, but that the Foundation is dedicated to keeping “Thunderbird” on Lake Tahoe. Community support, and, most importantly, donations, are needed to make that a reality, Bill says. The Foundation relies on a few large donations each year to maintain “Thunderbird,” but more is needed.

“The endowment will ensure ‘Thunderbird’ stays at the Lodge, and the Lodge needs to stay open to the public,” Bill says. “Tahoe’s history is rich, but there isn’t much of it left.”

So, get out your checkbooks to help save this grand dame of Lake Tahoe.

“Thunderbird” celebrates her 70th birthday on July 30 and 31 at the South Tahoe Wooden Boat Classic at Tahoe Keys Marina, complete with birthday cake. For details on the show, visit www.acbs-tahoe.org.

“Thunderbird” is available for public viewing in her boathouse at Thunderbird Lodge, which is open for tours from Tuesday to Saturday through mid-October. You can see a video of “Thunderbird” on the Web site at www.thunderbirdlodge.org under History.

"Miss Tahoe" rides

One of the benefits of membership to the Tahoe Maritime Museum is a ride aboard the classic wooden boat "Miss Tahoe," for membership starting at the $100 level.

Rides are offered every Thursday and Sunday through Aug. 29 at 5 p.m. I enjoyed an evening cruise on Lake Tahoe on "Miss Tahoe," and it's a joy not to be missed.

You can reach the museum at (530) 525-9253. Or, visit www.tahoemaritimemusuem.org.

Saving Tahoe's grand dame

Tahoe Vista Rec. Area launch opens

Kings Beach, CA – The boat launch at Tahoe Vista Recreation Area opened on June 24, and will remain open as long as water levels allow. The launch will be open:

• 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday
• Noon to 6:30 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday

Inspectors will be present during these hours to serve those wishing to launch. Hours may change from time to time throughout the Summer but will be posted at the launch. Check the Boat Launching page of the North Tahoe Parks Web site at www.northtahoeparks.com for current operating hours once the launch has opened.

The boat launch basin at Tahoe Vista Recreation Area was dredged this Spring to the maximum depth allowed by Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board to allow for construction of courtesy docks that will be constructed in the basin this year.

Boaters should exercise caution because low lake levels continue in spite of the late storms and shallow conditions just outside the launch basin will continue to be a concern for larger boats. There will be a “launch at your own risk rule” in place and boat owners are advised to be cautious when accessing the lake.

At this time, low water levels do not allow Coon Street Boat Launch to be open for use. If water levels improve and certified boat inspectors are available to staff this location, the launch will open. Updates on both launch ramps will be posted on the Boat Launch page of the Parks Web site.

Capt. Monte at Maritime Museum

Capt. Monte Colburn, the relief captain and mate, aboard the fishing boat “Wizard” featuring on the hit Discovery Channel series “Deadliest Catch,” will be the guest speaker on June 24 at 5:30 p.m. as part of the Tahoe Maritime Museum’s summer lecture series.

Colburn, a resident of Incline Village, will share stories from his life on the high seas during what is sure to be a fascinating talk. Refreshments will be served at 5 p.m. The lecture series is $8 for adults and free for children under 12. For more about the series, visit www.discovery.com.