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Eyes on the Lake logo

Eyes on the Lake

Citizen scientists protecting Tahoe
from aquatic invasive species

2024 recap
aquatic invasive species

Aquatic invasive plants are threatening Lake Tahoe.
Have you seen these? 

Eurasian watermilfoil

Eurasian watermilfoil

Curlyleaf pondweed

Curlyleaf pondweed

Golden mussel. Photo: CA Department of Water Resources

Golden mussel

New Zealand mudsnail AIS

New Zealand mudsnail

These aquatic invasive species are damaging Lake Tahoe’s ecology and water quality. The golden mussel has not reached Tahoe, but poses a very serious threat. Be sure to Clean, Drain and Dry all your gear before it hits the water. Learn more about golden mussels in this video series from the the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and see how far they’ve spread throughout the state in this map.

Use the free Citizen Science Tahoe web tool to let us know where you’ve spotted any of these aquatic invaders.

Click the plant and shellfish images to download handy ID guides.

Attend a training

What is Eyes on the Lake?

An aquatic invasive plant floating in Lake Tahoe.
Eyes on the Lake logo
The power of citizen science
Eyes on the Lake is the League's volunteer citizen science program to help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive plants in Lake Tahoe and surrounding waters.
If you are a Tahoe water lover (beachgoer, swimmer, paddler, SCUBA diver, boater) and want to help ensure Tahoe's waters stay clear and pristine, then Eyes on the Lake is for you.
Volunteers identify and report on aquatic invasive plants they find in and around Tahoe, helping us catch them before they can spread to other parts of the Lake. Help protect Lake Tahoe while you play!

Why are aquatic invasive weeds a problem?

Aquatic invasive weeds in Lake Tahoe.
Aquatic invasive weeds in Lake Tahoe.
Aquatic invasive weeds in Lake Tahoe.
Preventing infestations
Aquatic invasive weeds crowd out our native plants, alter the Lake's ecosystem and generally impact Tahoe's beauty. Both plants spread easily to other areas around the Lake by hitching a ride on recreational equipment or boats and can establish new infestations. We’re working to stop that from happening.
The two main targets of our Eyes on the Lake program are Eurasian watermilfoil and curlyleaf pondweed, aquatic invasive plants introduced to Tahoe in the past few decades. Both plants are already established in over a dozen locations in Lake Tahoe, and are difficult and expensive to control.

Be part of the solution

Using the Citizen Science Tahoe app.
Using the Citizen Science Tahoe app.
Report your sightings
Get familiar with the Citizen Science Tahoe website and use the Eyes on the Lake survey to report your sightings today! Doing so helps us catch new infestations of these plants before they spread.
If you think you’ve seen these plants, please contact us - protect@keeptahoeblue.org. It is also helpful for us to receive reports of “absences” - anywhere you haven’t seen these plants.
Get started

Want to make a bigger impact?

Eyes on the Lake survey
Eyes on the Lake survey
Eyes on the Lake survey impacts
Eyes on the Lake training
Eyes on the Lake survey
Get trained and start surveying
If you’d like to get more involved in the Eyes on the Lake program and help us with regular surveying and reporting, organized surveys and even hand-pulling of aquatic weeds, you can join us for an official Eyes on the Lake training.
During these trainings you’ll get a chance to step through our identification guide using real plants in our “lab”. We’ll also take you out in the field to conduct a field survey and get experience in looking for these plants in a real-life setting.
See the training schedule

"Clean, Drain and Dry" every time

CD3 at the 2023 Tahoe Summit in Kings Beach
The CD3 machine
In the summer of 2023, the League introduced a mobile, solar-powered cleaning station with onboard tools to stop the spread and introduction of AIS in Lake Tahoe.
The innovative device is free to use and intended for kayaks, paddleboards, canoes and anything you can paddle, row or float. It is deployed during summer months at popular, high-use recreation sites around the Basin that lack boat inspection stations or staff.
Where is the CD3 now?
Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)
HABs in the Tahoe Keys

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) in the Tahoe Keys

HABs are formed by tiny organisms called cyanobacteria and can make the water a variety of colors such as green, white, red, or brown. HABs may look like thick paint floating on the water or as algal mats in rivers, streams, and along the shallow shorelines of lakes.

In lakes, HABs usually appear as a mix of intense shades of green in a paint-like sheen on the water’s surface. In rivers, HABs look like algal mats that are attached to the channel bottom. Algal mats can also become stranded on shorelines. Learn more here.

More ways to get involved

  • Become a Tahoe Keeper

    Tahoe Keepers logoTahoe Keepers are responsible and informed paddlers who understand how to Clean, Drain and Dry their watercraft and gear before and after launching in Tahoe regional waterbodies. These paddlers, anglers, and beachgoers are committed to protecting Lake Tahoe’s pristine watershed from the devastating effects of aquatic invasive species.

  • Get the free Tahoe Boating app

    Tahoe Boating App

    The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and the League designed the Tahoe Boating app as a free resource to inform boaters about Lake Tahoe, no-wake zone boundaries, area attractions, and how to enjoy the lake safely and responsibly. Lake Tahoe has no-wake zones to keep boaters, paddlers, and swimmers safe. Make your day on the water the best it can be – get the Tahoe Boating app.

  • Take the Tahoe Water Trail

    Tahoe water trail sign

    The Lake Tahoe Water Trail is a 72-mile water route along the shoreline that connects launch and landing sites that include restrooms, wayfinding signage, parking, transit, and trash cans. Paddlers can plan their safe, fun, and eco-friendly paddle trip with this free and convenient online tool.

Eyes on the Lake reports

The League collects surveys of aquatic invasive plants. This map provides the locations of verified infestations of aquatic invasive plants, as well as locations where fragments of plants have been spotted. We’re excited to be able to provide this data for use by researchers, agencies and other decision-makers engaged in the management of aquatic invasive species around Lake Tahoe.

See the complete map
A collaborative project of the Lake Tahoe AIS Program

Eyes on the Lake is led by the League to Save Lake Tahoe, in partnership with the Tahoe Resource Conservation District and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, as well as other organizations that make up the Lake Tahoe Aquatic Invasive Species Program. Learn more about this program.

Protect Tahoe in one minute

See algae, murky water, or litter?

Spotted something unusual around the Lake? Report it quickly using the Citizen Science Tahoe app.

Report Now