Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 114 Part 4.djvu/289

 PUBLIC LAW 106-506—NOV. 13, 2000 114 STAT. 2351 Public Law 106-506 106th Congress An Act To promote environmental restoration around the Lake Tahoe basin. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the "Lake Tahoe Restoration Act". SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. (a) FINDINGS. —Congress finds that— (1) Lake Tahoe, one of the largest, deepest, and clearest lakes in the world, has a cobalt blue color, a unique alpine setting, and remarkable water clarity, and is recognized nationally and worldwide as a natural resource of special significance; (2) in addition to being a scenic and ecological treasure. Lake Tahoe is one of the outstanding recreational resources of the United States, offering skiing, water sports, biking, camping, and hiking to millions of visitors each year, and contributing significantly to the economies of California, Nevada, and the United States; (3) the economy in the Lake Tahoe basin is dependent on the protection and restoration of the natural beauty and recreation opportunities in the area; (4) Lake Tahoe is in the midst of an environmental crisis; the Lake's water clarity has declined from a visibility level of 105 feet in 1967 to only 70 feet in 1999, and scientific estimates indicate that if the water quality at the Lake continues to degrade, Lake Tahoe will lose its famous clarity in only 30 years; (5) sediment and algae-nourishing phosphorous and nitrogen continue to flow into the Lake from a variety of sources, including land erosion, fertilizers, air pollution, urban runoff, highway drainage, streamside erosion, land disturbance, and ground water flow; (6) methyl tertiary butyl ether— (A) has contaminated and closed more than one-third of the wells in South Tahoe; and (B) is advancing on the Lake at a rate of approximately 9 feet per day; (7) destruction of wetlands, wet meadows, and stream zone habitat has compromised the Lake's ability to cleanse itself of pollutants; (8) approximately 40 percent of the trees in the Lake Tahoe basin are either dead or dying, and the increased quantity Nov. 13, 2000 [H.R. 3388] Lake Tahoe Restoration Act. Forests and forest protection. California. Nevada. 79-194O-00 - 10:QL3Part4

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