The Lake Tahoe Water Trail Committee is..

     The Lake Tahoe Water Trail Committee is a friendly group of paddling advocates who are dedicated to promoting safe paddling on Lake Tahoe. Committee members represent broad interests including fitness and sport activities, business and economic support, conservation, protecting public lake access, and environmental stewardship. The Committee holds meetings most months to plan and implement group paddle events, coordinate outreach and educational messages to users, and discuss and address emerging concerns such as aquatic invasive species. We welcome everyone with an interest in supporting the Lake Tahoe Water Trail to attend our meetings or the group paddle events, or to follow our activities on line. We will start posting our meeting notices and monthly meeting notes here so you can stay informed or identify a way you can help! 

Committee Updates

November 2009 we begin planning for the new year.  We are blessed to have been awarded an Assistance Grant from the National Park Service Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program.  Barbara Rice will be assisting the Lake Tahoe Water Trail Committee in developing a strategic plan for the future of our group and the Water Trail.  We will initially be meeting with Barbara in December to develop our strategy for the program as we move into 2010.  We have many great plans on the table for the coming year, including launching the Lodge-To-Lodge Network, utilizing the help of an AmeriCorps volunteer to develop Day-trip Maps, joining with the Lake Tahoe Paddlefest 2010 program for it’s week-long Beginning of Summer celebration June 19 – 27, 2010.

The Fall Paddle Event was not an official event for 2009, as the committee busied itself on developing the new Lodge-To-Lodge concept and strategy for a 2010 launch.  Instead we had an informal group paddle on Saturday, September 12th, launching from Baldwin Beach at 9:00 am and paddled to Emerald Bay.  The group landed on Fannette Island and hiked to the “Tea House” to enjoy the view and have a snack.  We then paddled to the beach in front of Vikingsholm Castle and enjoyed a picnic lunch.  The return trip was an adventure as mother nature shared a heavy downpour with us for a short time.  It was an excellent day in spite of the rain and all participants look forward to the next one.

Updated Lake Tahoe Water Trail Guide/Map.  In the Spring of 2009, the Committee completed work to correct some outdated information on our premier publication, offered through Adventuremaps, Inc.  It was published in time for the 2009 paddle season and early sales began at the Spring Paddle Event at Sand Harbor.  Please click on the Water Trail Map/Guide paddle below to navigate to the ordering instructions.

June, 2009. We are at the start of another paddle year at Lake Tahoe. We had a beautiful start to the season with our Spring Paddle Day at Sand Harbor. Nearly 90 paddlers enjoyed the warm sunshine and great lunch, with 45 of us paddling to the Thunderbird Lodge for a tour of that historic lakefront estate. See the events page for more photos.

We also are excited about working with lakefront lodging properties to develop a Lodge-to-Lodge Network that can offer exclusive services such as guided tours, boat valet and shuttle services, evening cultural activities, and special pampering for paddlers (an end of the day massage, anyone?) We’d love help with the creation and management of this idea, so let us know if this sparks your interest.

2009 Business Expo  Members of the LTWT Committee attended the 2009 Business Expo at the Mont Bleu Convention Center sponsored by the Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce. We had an opportunity to talk to many locals and spread the word about the Lake Tahoe Water Trail. We would love more volunteers to help us attend more such events so we are sure everyone in Tahoe knows about our efforts.  Join us for the 2010 Business Expo!

 To get a feel for our what we do, here are some of our 2008 activities
December, 2008. We had a wonderful year paddling at Lake Tahoe this year! An early Spring and late Winter produced an extremely long season of spectacular days and warm full-moon nights. We have heard from many Water Trail users about their great trips and are working now to upload the stories for everyone’s enjoyment.

 This Committee has been busy this year hosting two successful paddle events, offering advice for many circumnavigation trips, and preparing for a corrected version of our popular Guide/Map, due out in time for next year’s paddle season. Here are the highlights of our year…

2008 Business Expo  Members of the LTWT Committee attended the 2008 Business Expo at Mont Bleu Convention Center sponsored by the Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Lake Tahoe, RNS, and the Tahoe Daily Tribune. We had an opportunity to talk to many locals and spread the word about the Lake Tahoe Water Trail. We would love more volunteers to help us attend more such events so we can be sure everyone in Tahoe knows about our efforts.

 Spring Paddle Day at Sand Harbor.We had a beautiful day on Saturday, May 17th for the Lake Tahoe Water Trail Committee's "Spring Community Paddle Day". Over 90 participants from the Lake Tahoe area and nearby Nevada and California communities gathered at Sand Harbor for a two hour paddle of the East Shore and then returned to a BBQ lunch. See the Events page on our website for the complete story and photos from this wonderful day.

 2008 Non-Motorized Boat User Survey.  The LTWT Committee sits on the Lake Tahoe Working Group, a public/private group to study issues related to non-motorized boat public access at Lake Tahoe. The Working Group sponsored the first ever user survey of paddling at the Lake. Survey results will be posted July 1, 2009 on our website.

2008 Fall Paddlefest at Regan Beach.  Our string of good weather luck continued for our fall group paddle in South Lake Tahoe on September 6th. We hosted 50 participants for a guided interpretive paddle of the South Shore wildlife areas near the Upper Truckee River and Pope Beach. Great pictures and a full story are on posted on the Events page. Check it out!

 So it’s been a busy year! Although the warmer weather is over for now, remember that paddling Lake Tahoe in the winter can be a magical experience. It’s quieter than at any other time and the snow piled on the shoreline rocks and trees is a sight you won’t want to miss. Winter paddling requires extreme safety preparation, however, to protect yourself from the frigid water temperatures and unpredictable weather.

Lake Tahoe Water Trail Committee Notes

2010 June Meeting Minutes

2010 March Meeting Minutes

2010 February Meeting Minutes

2009 December Meeting Minutes

2009 November Meeting Minutes

2009 July Meeting Minutes

2009 February Meeting Minutes
 
2009 January Meeting Minutes

Paddle often and paddle safe! 

Contact us at:  (530) 579-2525