Yes, you read that right. There are micro-plastics in Lake Tahoe. Crazy, right?
Desert Research Institute (DRI) detected tiny plastic fragments in the waters of Lake Tahoe. Tahoe is one of our country's most regulated and protected lakes - for the first time ever. With the micro-plastics in the Tahoe area, that means they are everywhere, impacting our food and water supplies, not to mention our wildlife and wild places.
Until DRI's important discovery, the focus for plastic pollution has been on our oceans and coastlines, where plastic trash is prevalent. This research shows that more attention is needed to address micro plastics in our rivers, mountains and lakes.
Throughout the Tahoe Basin, plastics (especially single-use plastics like wrappers and utensils) are consistently the top items found during volunteer community cleanups. Right now, there's proposed CA legislation that seeks to stop the flood of single-use plastics, and it needs your support.
Micro plastic pollution is notoriously difficult to detect, which is just one of the reasons we're working to stop it.
Help us make a difference in the fight against micro plastic pollution.