How International Collaboration Is Helping Lake Tahoe Prepare for Climate Change
Thanks to a partnership with Italian researchers, Lake Tahoe is anticipating significant changes expected by the end of the century. Scientists, including Sudeep Chandra, PhD, professor and limnologist at the University of Nevada, Reno, predict that Lake Tahoe will stop mixing between 2070 and 2100 due to shifts in climate, precipitation, and wind patterns.
Mixing is a natural process that circulates oxygen and nutrients throughout the lake’s water column. Its absence could present new challenges for managing the lake’s ecosystem.
Lessons from Italian Lakes
Italian lakes such as Maggiore and Iseo have already stopped mixing since around 2006. Milder winters prevented surface waters from cooling enough to become dense and mix with deeper water layers. Barbara Leoni and Veronica Nava, researchers studying these lakes, provide valuable insights applicable to Lake Tahoe’s situation.
“We’re trying to get ahead of this issue that will arise as the climate changes so managers can create progressive policies which manage for a new lake future,” Chandra explained while sampling Tahoe with Leoni and Nava in mid-October.
Because these Italian lakes share structural similarities with Lake Tahoe, they act as a real-world model reflecting what Tahoe may experience in the future.
Preparing for the Future
This collaboration enables scientists and policymakers to learn from a generation of research and experience. By the time Lake Tahoe ceases to mix, a wealth of knowledge from Italian lake studies will guide adaptive lake management strategies.
Author’s summary: International research collaboration is equipping Lake Tahoe’s managers with valuable insights from Italian lakes to proactively address upcoming ecological challenges driven by climate change.