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shorezone development

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TRPA’s Shorezone Plan was adopted by the agency in October 2008. Unfortunately, the agency has been unable to develop a necessary plan for fully mitigating the environmental impacts of new boat use associated with all the additional shorezone structures (buoys, slips, boat ramps, etc.). Therefore, a coalition of conservation groups, including the League to Save Lake Tahoe, has filed a lawsuit challenging the plan.

The plan allows for additional build-out potential of thousands of additional buoys, 138 piers, 235 boat slips, and six boat launching ramps. The following are a few of our most significant concerns:

  • The rate at which TRPA is proposing to allow buoys on the Lake is unprecedented, and corresponds to a doubling of the historic average. At full build out, these buoys would create an additional 77,000 additional boat trips/yr along with emissions of 10 tons/yr of hydrocarbons and 18 tons/yr of NOx. 
  • Before allowing additional buoys on the Lake, TRPA must determine which of the existing buoys are not permitted and remove all illegal buoys.
  • When the total number of authorized buoys has been actually been determined (i.e. between 2200-3000) and mitigations have been proven successful by the scientific community, then subsequent buoy placement should proceed at a rate commensurate with the historic average and with a “go slow” annual limit
  • The “Blue Boating” program lacks the necessary specificity, methods, performance standards, and regulations to actually directly mitigate the impacts of increased boat usage and associated pollution resulting from these additional structures.
  • The “Blue Boating” program needs to incorporate incentives for encouraging clean technology (such as hybrid, electric, wind, or solar powered boats) with boat sticker fees based upon both horsepower and emissions star rating, establish and enforce limits on boat pollution, and require catalytic converters (which can reduce emissions by 2/3).
  • Independent scientific review needs to certify the success of any mitigation program (such as the “Blue Boating” program or for fish habitat) with real time monitoring and objective analysis. The “Blue Boating” program must demonstrate substantial quantifiable reductions in boat pollution impacts first, before new development is introduced.
  • The Shorezone program environmental analysis understates climate change impacts and fails to look at the contribution of boat-related greenhouse gas as part of the cumulative effects of all projects and policies in the Basin.
  • No new piers should be allowed in scenically sensitive areas.
  • According to the 2006 Threshold Evaluation Report approximately 75% of the TRPA thresholds standards are currently in non-attainment (including six out of the seven water quality indicators and six of the eight air quality standards).  Thus, not only has the current Regional Plan proven to be inadequate at achieving and maintaining the TRPA Compact-mandated thresholds, but these new Shorezone ordinances will likely further hinder the attainment of water, air, scenic, noise, recreation, and fisheries thresholds.
  • The Shorezone ordinances are being adopted as an amendment to a new Regional Plan that has not even been created or approved yet.
  • To prevent boats from sinking while attached to mooring structures during storm events, TRPA needs to develop and enforce a program so that boats are adequately covered to protect from wave inundation and/or institute a deadline for boat removal from the Lake (i.e. fall).

Click on the following links to view the League’s numerous comment letters to the TRPA and position statements:

December 15, 2009 - comments on the buoy line extension revote
August 25, 2009 - comments on buoy line extension proposal
August 5, 2009 - position statement on Public Trust Doctrine
May 12, 2009 - comments on buoy line extension
March 24, 2009 - comments on Technical Cleanup
March 24, 2009 - comments on Illegal Buoy Removal
March 24, 2009 - comments on Blue Boating Program
March 24, 2009 - comments on Adaptive Management Program
October 21, 2008 – comments on Amendments to Ordinances
 September 24, 2008 – comments on Draft EIS Addendum
July 3, 2008 – comments on Draft Ordinances
May 20, 2008 – comments on workshop scenarios


For more info, email us or give us a call at 530-541-5388.