How International Collaboration Helps Tahoe Prepare for Climate Impacts
Lake Tahoe is preparing for a significant environmental change expected between 2070 and 2100, thanks to a partnership with Italian researchers. Scientists, including Sudeep Chandra, PhD, professor and limnologist at the University of Nevada, Reno, predict that Lake Tahoe will stop the natural mixing of its waters during this period. This mixing process normally redistributes oxygen and nutrients throughout the lake, and its cessation will create new challenges for lake management.
Lessons from Italian Lakes
Italian lakes such as Maggiore and Iseo stopped mixing around 2006 due to milder winters that prevented surface waters from cooling enough to mix with deeper layers. Barbara Leoni and Veronica Nava, Italian researchers, have closely studied this stagnation. These lakes share structural similarities with Lake Tahoe, providing valuable insights into Tahoe’s future conditions.
“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,” explained Chandra during a sampling trip with Leoni and Nava in mid-October.
The Significance of the Research Collaboration
This international cooperation allows scientists to apply decades of knowledge from the Italian lakes to anticipate and address Tahoe's coming ecological shifts. By the time Tahoe’s waters stop mixing, researchers will have accumulated a generation’s worth of valuable insights that can inform effective lake management policies.
Summary
Collaborating with Italian experts, Lake Tahoe's researchers gain essential foresight to proactively manage the upcoming ecological challenges posed by climate-driven changes in water mixing.