Look: Waters on the Shores of Lake Tahoe Are the Clearest They've Been in 40 Years
Covering almost 200 square miles in the Sierra Nevadas, Lake Tahoe is a popular spot for those looking to swim in its beautiful blue waters. Many who have been to Lake Tahoe lately have noticed a subtle change, though- its waters have become extremely clear.
And no, not just kinda clear- right now, Lake Tahoe is literally the clearest it's been in 40 years. There's actually a scientific explanation as to why, but first, see it for yourself with this video from TikTok user @nikolelynn.s.
Literally picture-perfect. Free from any murkiness or cloudiness, the crystalline waters of Lake Tahoe resemble liquid glass. Just imagine going for a swim in that! It sounds absolutely heavenly. Well, it would if the current temperature of Lake Tahoe's water wasn't below 50 F, which it is right now. Still, one can dream.
OK, now down to the nitty-gritty: how and why the waters of Lake Tahoe are the clearest they've been in 40 years. It all comes down to the workings of a tiny, microscopic animal- zooplankton! The tiny zooplankton in Lake Tahoe eat a lot of the smaller microorganisms and detritus that float in its waters, even stuff like clay particles.
However, the plankton population in the lake had been significantly decreased for some time. In an NPR interview, biologist Geoffrey Schladow explained that invasive shrimp were introduced to Lake Tahoe, and these shrimp ate up a lot of the helpful zooplankton, causing the water quality and clarity to suffer.
Yet in an ironic twist of fate, the population of aggressive shrimp has also greatly decreased recently, causing the zooplankton population to bounce back. With the microscopic critters back to business, the waters of Lake Tahoe became crystal-clear once more!
While scientists predict that the predator shrimp population will eventually recover as well, for now, Lake Tahoe's plankton are thriving and working overtime to keep their waters clean! With Lake Tahoe's swimming season just around the corner, soon many more people will get to see the beautiful handiwork of these amazing microscopic creatures!
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