PRESS RELEASE SHARED ON BEHALF OF THE CALIFORNIA STATE WATER RESOURCES CONTROL BOARD AND THE NEVADA DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Agencies release results from water sampling at two Lake Tahoe beaches

July 16, 2024

Contacts:
Blair Robertson - California State Water Resources Control Board
Jennifer Jackson - Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE - The Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board (Lahontan Water Board) and the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) collected water samples on July 8 and July 10 at two Lake Tahoe beaches, El Dorado Beach in California and Nevada Beach in Nevada. The samples will support the California Interagency Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB)-related Illness Workgroup 's (Workgroup) ongoing investigation of a death of a dog in the area.

Results

Lab results from lake water at both El Dorado Beach and Nevada Beach were non-detect for toxins associated with HABs. At Nevada Beach, results for a sample taken from a shallow pond not connected to the lake contained a very low level of a cyanotoxin called saxitoxin. The pond is partially fenced off and the Lahontan Water Board and NDEP are recommending further fencing to prevent dogs and their owners from accessing the area. The locations of water sampling were determined based on an interview with the reporting party by the Workgroup.

The Lahontan Water Board recommends no advisory at El Dorado Beach for HABs and NDEP recommends no advisory at Nevada Beach for the lake itself. NDEP has issued a "HAB Watch" advisory specific to the backwater pond at Nevada Beach.

How to report and stay informed

The advisory at El Dorado Beach has been lifted and the water is designated safe for recreational activities, however the public is urged to always remain vigilant when visiting any waterbodies, practice healthy water habits, and to be aware of how to identify and report suspected harmful algal blooms. Doing so can keep loved ones, including dogs, along with other members of the public, safe from possible health impacts from HABs.

To stay updated on harmful algal blooms in California, visit the HABs portal.

To stay updated on harmful algal blooms in Nevada, visit the HAB Dashboard and the Weekly HAB Update. To learn how to identify HABs and what to do if you see a HAB, visit NDEP's HAB Resource Page. For more information about the health effects of HABs, visit the Office of State Epidemiology Harmful Algal Bloom page.

Ongoing investigation

The agencies involved in water-sample testing cannot draw conclusions about the cause of death for the dog from these results; they can only speak to evaluating water quality and the presence of HABs. The California Interagency Harmful Algal Bloom-related Illness Workgroup (Illness Workgroup), which includes staff from the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), continues to investigate. All HAB-related illness reports submitted to the workgroup are evaluated based on available environmental data, interviews, health-related information and other pertinent data. Cases that have sufficient information to support determinations of HAB-related illnesses are reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's One Heath Harmful Algal Bloom System.

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