Water Quality Department

Working hard to combat the aquatic invasive species that infest the lagoons and waterways of the Tahoe Keys.

Tahoe Keys Sunset

Overview

The Water Quality Department organizes and schedules the weed-harvester machines, skimmer weed boats, trucks and trailers used to harvest the weeds that grow in the Tahoe Keys lagoons. It is also responsible for ensuring compliance annually with the Tahoe Keys’ Waste Discharge Requirements (WDRs).


Responsibilities

The Water Quality Department staff is responsible for the seasonal harvesting and removal of weeds growing and accumulating in the Tahoe Keys channels and waterways during the spring/summer months.

Weed harvesting schedule & operations.

There are four weed-harvester machines that are deployed daily in our channels to harvest and collecting the milfoil and other invasive weeds that grow in our lagoons.

The harvesting priority for the waterways is to harvest the:

  1. Navigational channels first.
  2. Shorelines second and then docks if boats are not present and the harvester fits.
  3. Individual slips-if boats were not present, and the harvester could fit.

Please note, the harvesters only can get around docks where there is an eight-foot space between the docks due to the paddle wheels on the side of the machines.

Weed-harvesters

Our weed-harvesters operate daily from 7:45 am to 3:30 pm.

Skimmer boats & fragment control 

Our skimmer boats operate daily from 8:15 am to 4:15 am.

Weed pile pickup service

One skimmer boat is dedicated to weed pile pickup Mon-Thu from 8:30 am to 11:00 am, depending on zone.

Day of WeekZones
Mon / Wed1-9a & 19
Tue / Thu9b-18 &
East Channel

Please place weed pile on front of dock.

Meet the Water Quality staff.

The Water Quality Department consists of a full-time supervisor and two full-time technicians and expands in numbers during the summer months.

Kristine Lebo

Water Quality Manager

Contact Details
Hours:Mon-Fri 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
Tel:(530) 542-6444 ext 275
Email:kristine.lebo@fsresidential.com

Erin Harkins

Water Quality Technician

Contact Details
Hours:Mon-Fri 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
Tel:(530) 542-6444 ext 275
Email:erin.harkins@fsresidential.com

Meghan Hoffman

Water Quality Supervisor

Contact Details
Hours:Mon-Fri 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
Tel:(530) 542-6444 ext 275
Email:meghan.hoffmann@fsresidential.com

Moire Breslin

Water Quality Technician

Contact Details
Hours:Mon-Fri 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
Tel:(530) 542-6444 ext 275
Email:moire.breslin@fsresidential.com

Check out the Water Quality Department’s Dedicated Website

Lagoon water quality and the fight against the aquatic invasive species.

The Tahoe Keys lagoons are inter-connected to Lake Tahoe, nutrients and fine sediments contained in the lagoon water can adversely impact the clarity of the Lake and aquatic invasive species (aquatic weeds and non-native fish) can be spread to other parts of the lake by boats and other human activity.


Minimizing nutrients

TKPOA is working with the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board to develop ways to minimize the quantity of nutrients in the Tahoe Keys lagoon water. The primary method to reduce nutrients is to reduce the discharge of fertilizers that runoff into the lagoons during irrigation. TKPOA is educating its members and promotes the use of phosphorus-free fertilizers, it has also begun a process to notify its members who are observed to be over-irrigating their properties and creating runoff into the lagoons.

Fighting the aquatic invasive species

TKPOA has cooperated with TRPA and TRCD in conducting scientific studies regarding ways to control the growth of aquatic weeds over the past number of years. The results of those studies have shown that aquatic weeds can be controlled using harvesting (the current control method), bottom barriers, and aquatic herbicides. TKPOA is developing an integrated aquatic weed management plan (IMP) that is based on the most cost-effective mix of the identified weed control methods. While harvesting and bottom barriers are currently allowed, the use of aquatic herbicides will require additional study and regulatory approval.


Supporting the Water Quality Committee.

Water Quality Department staff are responsible for the day-to-day operations and implementation of the projects & programs approved by the Water Quality Committee and Board of Directors.


Waterways Committee

The purpose of the Waterways Committee is to assist the Board in monitoring and maintaining water quality within the Tahoe Keys Lagoons. The Committee is currently focused on a three-year effort to obtain permits needed to implement effective long-term strategies to control Nuisance Aquatic Weeds. In addition, the Committee assists in the administration of the water quality permit for the Tahoe Keys Lagoons and it provides input on the Water Quality Department.

Documents, schedules, meetings & projects.

You can find documents related to the water quality department in the documents section of the website. This includes harvesting schedules, project information, as well as meeting agendas and minutes.