Student Research Programs - Office of Undergraduate and ...

prompted a rush in wetland development, and between the years of 1969 and 1979, about 25% of the Basin’s
marshland was developed for human use. As marshes serve as natural filtration systems, their destruction often
results in increases in sediment accumulation rates, the deterioration of water quality, and the introduction of
exotic species, often accelerated by the direct correlation between urbanization and issues such as automobile
traffic, urban runoff, and increased water use. This photographic study seeks to shed light on the decreased water
clarity of Lake Tahoe since the construction and inhabitance of the Tahoe Keys, by providing specific visual
references to the deterioration in water quality in the Tahoe Keys region as evidenced by sediment accumulation
and the resulting diminution in clarity. By assessing the current levels of sediment buildup in a visual comparison
to past images, one can make predictions as to the future state of Lake Tahoe with the added issues of climate
change and the potential for reduced mixing of the stratified layers of the lake if urban expansion and the
resulting pollution continues at a similar rate.
A VISUAL STUDY OF THE ROLE ENVIRONMENTALISM PLAYS IN TRPA REGULATIONS
Hayley Mallen
Program: NSF REU
Mentor: Peter Goin
Department: Environmental Studies
University of Kansas
The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) was sanctioned by the U.S. Congress in
order to serve as a bi-state regulatory entity along the California and Nevada
border in the Lake Tahoe Basin. The primary function of the TRPA is to preserve the
natural environment in the basin while allowing a certain extent of development
within the residential and non-residential framework. However, maintaining
equilibrium between these two goals is challenging at best. Oftentimes the
community perception of such regulations upheld by the TRPA is influenced by
media information, which can produce biased viewpoints. Therefore the question is: What role does
environmentalism play in development regulations mandated by the TRPPA The purpose of this study is to
determine whether or not a relative level of equilibrium is being upheld between development permits, which
target improvement of the natural environment and those geared at human-based infrastructure projects. Do the
projects in fact facilitate environmental protection in order to preserve the integrity of the Tahoe landscape The
research is specifically focused on the most recent Community Enhancement Projects being considered by the
TRPA. Quantitative analysis of the type of project, as well as visual surveying of site locations is used to explore
regulations. I predict that permit analysis and visual surveying will serve as an appropriate data source for
interpreting the current management system operating in the Tahoe Basin. Benefits of this study include an
increase in awareness of the relationship between the types of projects being implemented in the Tahoe Basin
and could serve as a foundation for improvement of future development regulations.
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