Without Dr. Charles Goldman, Lake Tahoe may not be blue today. For more than six decades, Dr. Goldman has been a driving force behind how we understand, protect, and celebrate the Lake’s clarity. Widely regarded as the “Godfather of Tahoe limnology” — the science of inland waters, wetlands and groundwater — his groundbreaking work helped save Tahoe from ecological collapse and inspired lake protection efforts worldwide.
On October 2, 2025, you can hear directly from this living legend during the first-ever Keep Tahoe Blue Speaker Series at the Spurlock/Evers Environment & Education Center.
The sewage fight that saved Lake Tahoe
In the 1960s, development pressure around Tahoe was fierce. Some engineers proposed returning treated sewage water to the Lake, claiming advanced technology made it safe. Dr. Goldman, who was already leading clarity research, decided to test it.
His experiment showed ammonia was still present in treated wastewater. Nitrogen is a key component in ammonia, which can fuel algae growth. Within three days, Tahoe’s clear water turned bright green. “The decision to sewer the Lake and export sewage out of the Basin was the single most important thing accomplished for Tahoe,” Dr. Goldman later said.
That science, paired with advocacy from Keep Tahoe Blue, convinced policymakers to act. California’s 1969 Porter-Cologne Act stopped sewage from being dumped in Tahoe, preserving the Lake’s clarity for generations and setting the standard for water quality protections statewide.
A pioneer in Tahoe limnology
Dr. Charles Goldman’s career at Lake Tahoe began in 1958, when he launched the first long-term clarity measurements. Using a simple white disk, the Secchi disk, he tracked how far into the water it could be lowered before disappearing. His work created the Lake’s transparency record, the longest continuous dataset for any U.S. lake.
Those measurements remain a cornerstone of science and policy today, informing everything from invasive species management to climate change research. Dr. Goldman’s work also shaped Keep Tahoe Blue’s core philosophy: using science to identify threats to the Lake and create solutions, or more simply Science to Solutions.
Bringing Tahoe to the world stage
Science alone can’t protect a lake — it takes awareness, funding, and political will. In 1997, Dr. Goldman helped bring global attention to Tahoe. He welcomed President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore aboard UC Davis’s research vessel, the John LeConte, and then revealed that lurking just below Tahoe’s beauty, the Lake is threatened.
The lessons he shared made waves in Washington D.C., and that single photo opportunity, with world leaders framed by Tahoe’s iconic blue waters, made international headlines. It elevated Tahoe as a symbol of conservation in time and helped secure hundreds of millions of dollars for restoration projects through the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act.
A scientist’s life: bears, bombs, and breakthroughs
Dr. Charles Goldman’s career hasn’t just been about data and policy. His fieldwork included encounters with curious bears and even checking his car for explosives during heated development battles in the 1960s. These stories remind us that science in defense of nature is never dull — and is sometimes dangerous.
Beyond the drama, Dr. Goldman’s legacy shines through his students. Many of today’s leading lake scientists were trained under his mentorship, carrying Lake Tahoe’s lessons to watersheds across the globe.
Why hearing from Dr. Goldman matters now
Climate change, invasive species, and human pressures continue to threaten Tahoe’s clarity. As Dr. Goldman himself warns: “People are realizing that if Tahoe’s water quality declines, everyone loses.”
This fall, Keep Tahoe Blue launched the Keep Tahoe Blue Speaker Series, and Dr. Charles Goldman will be the first to present at Keep Tahoe Blue’s new Spurlock/Evers Environment & Education Center. It’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reflect on Tahoe’s past, put today’s challenges into historical and scientific context, and find hope in the solutions science can deliver.
Your role in Tahoe’s future
Protecting Tahoe is a shared responsibility. Here’s how you can take part:
- RSVP today to hear Dr. Goldman in person on October 2 and witness history at the Spurlock/Evers Environment & Education Center outdoor amphitheater.
- Support Keep Tahoe Blue with a donation. Your gift fuels science-based programs that continue Dr. Goldman’s legacy and ensure Tahoe remains blue for future generations.