Control of Hypoxia (Dead Zone) in Lake Tahoe

Lake mixing replenishes oxygen in the deep waters of the lake. Climate change has altered the mixing regime of the Lake and it hasn’t mixed to the bottom since 2011, the longest period on record. The lack of mixing threatens to delete oxygen concentration in the deep waters of the Lake and could lead to the creation of dead zones that would yield fish kills and species shifts, along with an unprecedented release of algae-stimulating nutrients. This project will test methods to prevent or mitigate the threat. Methods could include improving the nutrient sequestering capacity of BMPs, exploring EIP project design, and will also contribute to our understanding of lake process and drivers.