Emerald Bay, punctuated by a wooded island on Lake Tahoe’s western edge, is probably the lake’s most recognizable feature. But beneath the water’s azure surface lies an issue few have set eyes on: about 6 miles worth of defunct century-old telephone cables that contain toxic lead. The cables, made of copper wires sheathed in lead, were discovered by scuba divers 12 years ago resting on the sandy lake bottom and, in places, bent around rocks. One long segment spans the West Shore from Baldwin Beach across the mouth of Emerald Bay up to Rubicon Bay — including through shallow areas where people swim and boat — and there’s a separate strand inside the bay.  

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