Image of a sandy Lake Tahoe beach, with babies playing at the shoreline. Beach goers are lounging in the background. There is a boat in the water in the background. Mountains surround the lake on one side and a steep rocky bank on the other side. The water is transparent and light blue near the shore and darker blue farther our in the image. There are a few Canadian geese floating in the water.

Lake Tahoe Nearshore Water Quality for Human Health

California and Nevada team up to monitor bacteria at Lake Tahoe's beaches.

May 5, 2023

People wade in shallow water at a Lake Tahoe beach. Boats float in the background. Mountains frame the back of the lake image.

Very clear water with sand beneath.

very clear water with rocks beneath. Ripples in the water transform the light penetrating the water creating streaks of lighter color against darker shadows in the water.

Water quality protection and monitoring

Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board collaborates with the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and Nevada Division of Environmental Protection to monitor bacteria at Lake Tahoe's beaches to protect human health. The current program includes monitoring E. coli in the nearshore around Lake Tahoe. Lake Tahoe is a bi-state lake and monitoring has included both California and Nevada. Each state has its own bacteria standards.

Lake Tahoe's clear water over sand with mountains in the distance on the horizon. — D.L Bliss July 2022

E. Coli data has been collected from Lake Tahoe beaches in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. The data for each location is presented below. Before diving into the data for each site, let's look at how the data is presented for California and Nevada.

How to understand bacteria data:

A graph of bacteria data.

Graph with title highlighted.

Graph with Y axis label highlighted.

Bacteria data from beaches in Lake Tahoe, California and Nevada:

Select a location below and click through the images to view bacteria data.

Camp Richardson 2018, 2022

Baldwin Beach 2018, 2021, 2024

Kiva Beach 2018, 2020, 2021, 2023

Regan Beach 2019, 2021, 2022

El Dorado Beach 2018, 2020, 2021

Emerald Bay 2018, 2019

Timber Cove 2018, 2019, 2022

Lakeside Beach 2018, 2019, 2022

Emerald Bay Boat 2018

D.L. Bliss 2019, 2022

Sugar Pine Point

Kings Beach 2018, 2020, 2021, 2024

Lake Forest Beach 2018

McKinney Bay/Chambers Landing 2018

Tahoe City Commons: 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

Round Hill Pines Beach 2021, 2022 and 2024

Nevada Beach 2018, 2020, 2023, 2024

Nevada Beach - dog area

Zephyr Cove 2018

Sand Harbor 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024

Incline Beach 2018, 2021

Pope Beach 2023

Camp Richardson 2018, 2022

Camp Richardson is a generally sandy beach. The surrounding area is generally forested with camping, picnicking and other recreational land uses.

Click on the blue arrow on the right of the image above to view data.

Baldwin Beach 2018, 2021, 2024

Baldwin Beach is a sandy beach. The upland areas surrounding Baldwin Beach consist of marsh and forest land and are generally not densely developed.

Click on the blue arrow on the right of the image above to view data.

Kiva Beach 2018, 2020, 2021, 2023

Kiva Beach is sandy and located where Taylor Creek enters Lake Tahoe. Kiva Beach is a popular dog beach.

Click on the blue arrow on the right of the image above to view data.

(Aerial Image Source: Google Earth, 2023)

Regan Beach 2019, 2021, 2022

Regan Beach has very shallow water and a sandy bottom. The surrounding area is generally residential.

Click on the blue arrow on the right of the image above to view data.

El Dorado Beach 2018, 2020, 2021

El Dorado beach is sandy, and the water is very shallow. The surrounding area is generally residential.

Click on the blue arrow on the right of the image above to view data.

(Aerial image: Google Earth, 2022)

Emerald Bay 2018, 2019

The Emerald Bay shoreline is generally sandy. Emerald Bay receives water from tributaries including Eagle Creek, flowing out of Desolation Wilderness. Emerald Bay is somewhat separated from the rest of Lake Tahoe by a shallow sill at the mouth of the bay. Sub-catchments in the uplands surrounding Emerald Bay are forested and generally undeveloped.

Timber Cove 2018, 2019, 2022

Timber Cove beach is sandy. The surrounding area is developed and urbanized.

Click on the blue arrow on the right of the image above to view data.

Lakeside Beach 2018, 2019, 2022

Lakeside Beach is sandy. Upland areas are generally urbanized.

Click on the blue arrow on the right of the image above to view data.

Emerald Bay Boat 2018

Emerald Bay Boat area is generally sandy. Emerald Bay receives water from tributaries including Eagle Creek and is somewhat separated from the rest of Lake Tahoe by a shallow sill at the mouth of the bay. Sub-catchments in the uplands surrounding Emerald Bay are forested and generally undeveloped.

Click on the blue arrow on the right of the image above to view data.

D.L. Bliss 2019, 2022

D.L. Bliss consists of a sandy beach with nearby boulders along the shoreline. The water drops to very deep depths quickly offshore. The upland areas here are forested and include recreational uses, such as hiking, camping and picnicking.

Click on the blue arrow on the right of the image above to view data.

Sugar Pine Point

Kings Beach 2018, 2020, 2021, 2024

Kings Beach is sandy and generally surrounded by residential areas.

Click on the blue arrow on the right of the image above to view data.

(Aerial image: Google Earth, 2022)

Lake Forest Beach 2018

Lake Forest Beach is sandy/gravelly and generally surrounded by residential areas and parks.

Click on the blue arrow on the right of the image above to view data.

(Aerial image: Google Earth, 2022)

McKinney Bay/Chambers Landing 2018

Click on the blue arrow on the right of the image above to view data.

(Aerial image: Google Earth, 2022)

Tahoe City Commons: 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

Tahoe City Commons beach is relatively shallow and consists of cobble, gravel and sand. Tahoe City Commons is near the outlet of Lake Tahoe, the Truckee River. Tahoe City Commons is also near a marina, parks and other recreational facilities. Geese have been known to frequent this beach and the surrounding area.

Click on the blue arrow on the right of the image above to view data.

Round Hill Pines Beach 2021, 2022 and 2024

Round Hill Pines Beach is a sandy beach on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe.

Click on the blue arrow on the right of the image above to view data.

(Aerial image: Google Earth, 2022)

Nevada Beach 2018, 2020, 2023, 2024

Nevada Beach is a sandy beach on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe. Nevada beach is one of the few beaches in Tahoe that allow dogs.

Click on the blue arrow on the right of the image above to view data.

(Aerial image: Google Earth, 2022)

Nevada Beach - dog area

2023 and 2024

Zephyr Cove 2018

Zephyr Cove is a sandy beach with boulder piles on shore and in the water. Zephyr Cove is on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe.

Click on the blue arrow on the right of the image above to view data.

(Aerial image: Google Earth, 2022)

Sand Harbor 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024

Sand Harbor (Nevada) is sandy with boulder outcrops.

Click on the blue arrow on the right of the image above to view data.

Incline Beach 2018, 2021

Incline Beach is located on the north shore of Lake Tahoe on the Nevada side.

Click on the blue arrow on the right of the image above to view data.

(Aerial image: Google Earth, 2022)

Pope Beach 2023

Pope Beach is sandy and its upland area includes a strip of trees and a large wetland.

What is on the horizon for water quality standards for bacteria?

In 1975 the Lahontan Water Quality Control Board adopted bacteria standards for some surface water bodies in the Region. In 1995 that standard was adopted region-wide. Fecal coliform was chosen as the indicator of bacteria.

Lake Tahoe beach with yellow sand, blude sky, mountains on the horizon and a few clouds. There is a black marker labeled 1975.

In 1986 the US EPA recommended updating those standards from fecal coliform to E. coli based on science showing that E. coli is a better indicator of risk to human health.

Lake Tahoe beach with yellow sand, blude sky, mountains on the horizon and a few clouds. There is a black marker labeled 1986.

In 2018 the California State Water Board adopted the Water Quality Objective of E. coli in which the geomean is not to exceed 100 CFU/100 mL.

Lake Tahoe beach with yellow sand, blude sky, mountains on the horizon and a few clouds. There is a black marker labeled 2018.

Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board is looking to the State Board and current science to update bacteria indicators to E. coli.