Author(s): S. A. Valvuena Mateus; F. A. Bombardelli; S. G. Schladow

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Abstract: Water clarity in rivers, lakes, and estuaries is of major concern in different parts of the world; it is of continuous research interest due to its high complexity and adverse implications. Herein we take the case of the shallow area of Lake Tahoe as a surrogate of what happens in other shallow flows. Water clarity at Lake Tahoe has been declining during the last decades, compromising the ‘blueness’ condition for which the lake is worldwide known. To explain such decline, some researchers pointed to high boating activity as the source of particles that increase turbidity levels. In this work, we address the issue via numerical simulations and fieldwork. Vessels at different velocities were numerically modeled using a Detached Eddy Simulation. In addition, during summer 2019, a transect of turbidity and temperature-depth sensors were deployed on the southern shore of Lake Tahoe at depths not greater than 3 meters. Preliminary results lead us to consider boat induced sediment resuspension as plausible but not a dominant factor for the lake’s overall water clarity decline.

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Year: 2020