An isolated storm that caused large quantities of unexploded fireworks to spill into Lake Tahoe has derailed what was expected to be the most comprehensive modern study examining the effects of fireworks shows on the famed lake. Clean Up The Lake, a nonprofit group traditionally focused on removing subsurface lake pollution, including the use of the first human-powered circumnavigation cleanup of Lake Tahoe using SCUBA, switched gears this July to spearhead the study. It was aimed at examining the effects of fireworks on the lake, which has suffered for decades from declining clarity, aquatic invasive species invasions and other human-induced problems. … The study was geared toward examining not just trash, but also water quality, including microplastics in the water, and had the potential to show the effects of firework debris and large-scale public events at the lake. … The barge, which sank in the lake near Incline Village, housed the very fireworks Clean Up The Lake was planning to study after their detonation.  

Other Tahoe area water quality news:

• Sierra Sun (Truckee, Calif.): Caltrans, local utility agree to $850,000 penalty for Lake Tahoe sewage spill
• This Is Reno (Nev.): Reno-Sparks water quality report released for 2025