In the late 1950s and ’60s, sewage and pollution were draining into Lake Tahoe daily. The 1960 Olympics, the growing popularity of Tahoe as a tourist destination, and an influx of development put the glassy blue waters at risk. An article in the San Francisco Examiner from 1967 reported sewage was entering the lake at a staggering “200,000 gallons a day.”
“The lake needed some severe protection,” said renowned limnologist Dr. Charles Goldman.
The League to Save Lake Tahoe, an environmental nonprofit backed by the science of Goldman, realized the weight of preserving this marvel of the world with its turquoise and inky blue waters. But the problem of sewage — and even its treatment — on top of the ravaging of the shorelines by developers threatened to turn Tahoe green.
“The league needed a rallying cry,” declared Chris Joseph, communications director at the league. “They needed a slogan, they needed something patchy and simple and action oriented.”