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Eyes on the Lake logo

Eyes on the Lake

Citizen scientists protecting Tahoe
from aquatic invasive species

2022 recap

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

Eurasian watermilfoil

Eurasian watermilfoil

Curlyleaf pondweed

Curlyleaf pondweed
These aquatic invasive weed species are damaging Lake Tahoe’s ecology and water quality.
Use the free Citizen Science Tahoe web app to let us know where you’ve spotted them!
Click the plant images to download handy plant ID guides.

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.

How can you help?

Using the Citizen Science Tahoe app.
Using the Citizen Science Tahoe app.
Use the free web app
Get familiar with the Citizen Science Tahoe web app and use the Eyes on the Lake feature 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

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.