Tahoe’s clean air and water are the keys to the Lake’s dazzling blue color. The surface of Lake Tahoe is blue in part because it’s reflecting the sky, but there is more to this phenomenon. Water as crystal clear as Tahoe’s absorbs red light, leaving the rich blue color that we all see.

Tahoe is so clear that in some places objects can be seen to depths of over 70 feet. One reason is that 40 percent of the precipitation falling into the Lake Tahoe Basin falls directly upon the Lake. Much of the remaining precipitation drains through marshes and meadows, which are an effective filtration system that remove fine particles before water enters the Lake. Unfortunately, many of the Lake’s natural filters have been disturbed by unchecked development from the 20th century. As a result, Tahoe’s clarity has diminished considerably since 1968 when clarity was measured at over 100 feet.

A plunge into Lake Tahoe can literally take your breath away. It may be warm outside, but the lake can be dangerously cold. Lake Tahoe's average surface temperature in the summer is 63°F, and can drop to 53°F just 18 inches below the surface. Therefore, swimming in the Lake Tahoe is not recommended.

On the eastern shores of Lake Tahoe, you'll find gently sloping beaches, crystal–clear water, and interesting rock formations which allow for wonderfully sublime swimming, kayaking and scuba diving at Sand Harbor State Park. Boaters, water–skiers, and fisherman can easily launch from one of the park’s two ramps.

For many thousands of years, Lake Tahoe was occupied only by Native American tribes. Artifacts confirm the presence of the Washoe Tribe of Native Americans at Lake Tahoe over 10,000 years ago. Native Americans camped, hunted, and fished at Lake Tahoe in relative seclusion until General John C. Fremont’s exploration party “discovered” the lake in 1844.

In 1859 however, the Comstock Lode was discovered in Virginia City, Nevada. During the 1860s Tahoe became the center of a lively commerce involving the silver mines in Virginia City and the Central Pacific Railroad. The Comstock era resulted in large–scale deforestation of the Tahoe Basin, as timber was required to build mine shafts and support growing developments. It is estimated that over 80 percent of the Basin’s forests were clear cut during this time.

Since then, public appreciation of Lake Tahoe and its natural resources has grown. During the 1912, 1913, and 1918 congressional sessions, conservationists made efforts to designate the Tahoe Basin as a national park but they were unsuccessful. Development pressures escalated again in the 1940s and 1950s, and a group of residents and visitors who were concerned about the environmental health of the region formed the League to Save Lake Tahoe in 1957.