What is a Lake Tahoe Best Management Practice?
At Lake Tahoe, Best Management Practices (BMPs) are defined as “structural and nonstructural practices proven effective in soil erosion control and management of surface runoff in the Lake Tahoe Region.” Eroding soils and surface water runoff transport pollutants, sediment, and nutrients to the Region’s rivers and streams, which lead to Lake Tahoe. Pursuant to subsection 25.5.A of the TRPA Code of Ordinances, all property owners in the Tahoe Basin are required to install infiltration facilities designed to accommodate the volume of runoff from a six-hour storm with a two-year recurrence probability (or a twenty year/one hour storm, which is approximately one inch of precipitation in an hour). These infiltration facilities are BMPs. Best Management Practices vary from site-to-site, and include temporary best management practices and permanent best management practices. Temporary BMPs are utilized to keep sediment on-site when an area is disturbed by construction. Permanent BMPs are util
