Breathing Lake Tahoe's fresh, pine scented air is amazing. However, due to the geographic nature of the Lake Tahoe Basin, we are more sensitive than other areas to air quality impacts. Higher pollution levels are caused by temperature inversions (which cause the air pollution to stay close to the ground and lake) and non locally generated pollution carried in by winds during the warmer months from the Sacramento Valley and Bay Area into the Basin. Given the beauty of the Tahoe area, millions of visitors flock to the region every year. This surge of guests results in significant pollution from both resident and non-resident vehicles.

(click here) to go to the Wood Stove Information page.

How can we improve Lake Tahoe's Air Quality?

• Reducing the number of vehicles on the roadways by walking, biking, carpooling, or taking public transit.
• Encouraging all public transit providers to move towards compressed natural gas (CNG) fuels to reduce pollution from buses. TRPA is working with local transit companies to move in this cleaner, greener direction.
• Installing our Best Management Practices (BMPs) to help reduce wind-blown dust from bare areas and dust caused by driving on dirt driveways.
• Replacing old, non-compliant wood heaters with new, efficient EPA-approved wood or gas heaters will reduce the smoke in our air, and also the smoke which deposits onto the lake and contributes to the decline in clarity.

TRPA has a wood heater retrofit program that requires all wood heaters be brought into compliance upon the sale of a home, which has helped reduce smoke levels in the Basin since its adoption. (click here) to find out more about the wood heater retrofit program.