Keep Tahoe Blue × Wilderdog are teaming up to help dog owners protect Tahoe’s beaches, trails, water, and wildlife

Lake Tahoe’s dog-friendly beaches, trails, and shoreline stops are part of what makes this place special for people and their pets. That is why Keep Tahoe Blue and Wilderdog are teaming up around a simple message for dog owners: pick it up, pack it out, and toss it in the trash.

Dog waste may seem small compared to Tahoe’s bigger environmental challenges, but what gets left behind does not stay put. On beaches, trails, parks, and neighborhood paths, pet waste can wash into waterways and become part of a much larger water-quality problem.

What Keep Tahoe Blue Volunteers Are Finding

Dog waste is not an isolated problem in Tahoe. Keep Tahoe Blue volunteers find it across the Basin.

With approximately 17 million visitor days each year, Lake Tahoe welcomes millions of people, and their pets, to enjoy its beaches, trails, and public lands. Unlike many national parks, Tahoe doesn’t have a dedicated staff responsible for cleaning up after every visitor. Protecting the Lake depends on each of us doing our part.

Volunteers have removed more than 1,000 dog waste bags from Lake Tahoe beaches, trails, parks, and public spaces. That includes 769 unbagged piles and 428 abandoned bags that had been picked up but never thrown away.

Bagging dog waste is only the first step. If the bag is left on a trail, tucked beside a rock, dropped near a sign, or forgotten on the beach, it is still litter left behind. It can still be torn open by wildlife, moved by weather, or left for someone else to clean up.

On average, Tahoe Blue Crew volunteers collect three piles of dog waste during every cleanup. Larger community cleanup events remove an average of 20 piles per event.

Reports submitted through Keep Tahoe Blue’s Citizen Science Tahoe web app tell the same story. So far this year, community members have reported 47 dog waste issues across the Tahoe Basin.

This is the kind of local data that makes the issue clear: dog waste is one of the most common pollutants our volunteers encounter.

What Gets Left Behind Does Not Disappear

Most people think of dog waste as unpleasant. Around Lake Tahoe, it is also a water-quality issue.

When pet waste is left on the ground, it does not stay there. Rain and snowmelt can carry it into nearby streams, storm drains, and eventually the Lake.

“Dog waste is more than a nuisance,” said Laura Patten, Natural Resource Director at Keep Tahoe Blue. “It can introduce harmful bacteria and excess nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus into Lake Tahoe and its tributaries through stormwater runoff and snowmelt. These nutrients stimulate the growth of algae and other tiny aquatic organisms. While a single pile of dog waste may seem insignificant, the cumulative impact across the Basin can contribute to the nutrient pollution that decades of restoration efforts have worked to reduce. Preventing pollution before it reaches the lake remains one of the most effective ways to protect Tahoe’s water quality.”

Bagged Is Not Finished

One of the easiest mistakes to make is thinking the job is done once dog waste is in a bag. It is not.

A bag of dog waste left on the trail or beach does not disappear. It creates another kind of litter and can still expose the surrounding area to pollution if wildlife breaks into the bag or weather breaks it down.

The better habit is an easy and simple choice. If there is no trash can nearby, carry the bag with you until you find one. Don’t leave it beside a trail marker, next to the trash can, or assume someone else will take care of it.

A responsible Tahoe dog day ends when the waste makes it into the trash.

How Dog Owners Can Help Tahoe Stay Beautiful

Dog-friendly Tahoe depends on dog owners doing small actions that have a big impact.

Whether you are heading to Kiva Beach, Regan Beach, North Zephyr Cove Beach, or a favorite dog-friendly trail, the basic habits are the same:

• Pick up after your dog every time.
• Carry extra waste bags.
• Pack out pet waste until you reach a trash can.
• Use designated dog-friendly beaches, trails, and recreation areas.
• Keep dogs on designated routes where required.
• Encourage other dog owners to do the same.

These habits protect more than the view. They help keep bacteria and excess nutrients out of waterways, reduce litter, protect wildlife, and make it easier for communities to keep dog-friendly spaces open and welcoming.

Responsible recreation is about enjoying the places we love in a way that keeps them healthy for the next person, dog, and generation of Tahoe-lovers.

Join Keep Tahoe Blue and Wilderdog

This summer, Keep Tahoe Blue and Wilderdog are turning that message into action through the Tahoe Trails & Tails Cleanup.

As a Tahoe Blue Business, Wilderdog is partnering with Keep Tahoe Blue to give dog lovers and Tahoe lovers a hands-on way to protect the places they enjoy together.

RSVP + Event Details: Tahoe Trails & Tails Cleanup

• When: Wednesday, August 26, 2026, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
• Where: Lam Watah Nature Trail to Nevada Beach (193 Kahle Dr, Stateline, NV 89449)

Volunteers will help remove litter and dog waste from a popular recreation corridor that connects people, pets, trails, and the shoreline.

Can’t make the cleanup? You can still support the partnership by purchasing the limited-edition Keep Tahoe Blue × Wilderdog bandana through the Keep Tahoe Blue online store. Every purchase helps support Keep Tahoe Blue’s work to protect Lake Tahoe.

You can also shop directly through Wilderdog and support their Purchase for a Pup program. Every purchase donates one cup of kibble to animal shelters and rescues, helping them provide food while focusing resources on medical care and other essential needs.

Report What You See

If you notice recurring dog waste, litter, algae, cloudy water, invasive species, or other concerns while you are out with your dog, report it through our Citizen Science Tahoe app.

Your report helps researchers, Keep Tahoe Blue, and partners better understand what is happening around the Lake and where more cleanup, education, or prevention may be needed.

A cleaner Tahoe starts with simple actions repeated across the Basin. Pick it up. Pack it out. Toss it in the trash. That is how dog-friendly Tahoe stays clean, healthy, and enjoyable for everyone.