Case Study: Lake Tahoe Redevelopment Project Addresses Stormwater Compliance Problem With Passive Filtration System
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Ski Run Marina is an integral component of a redevelopment project coordinated by the South Tahoe Redevelopment Agency in the northeast section of the South Lake Tahoe, Calif. During the late 1990s, the first stage of the redevelopment project replaced existing Marina buildings with a commercial center and courtyard (Marina Village at Ski Run). A number of other area improvements were also made to enhance public access to Lake Tahoe.
When the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board (LRWQCB) determined that the existing detention basin used to manage marina runoff was not meeting water quality permit objectives, it issued a cease-and-desist order requiring the problem be addressed. To resolve the order, the marina installed a highly effective passive stormwater treatment system to treat its runoff. Now the system easily meets one of the toughest water quality standards in the nation.
The Challenge
During its construction, marina property owners installed a lined detention basin to treat
stormwater runoff. However, due to site constraints the detention basin was built too deep
and steep, making it impossible for vegetation to grow. Eventually standing water, algae
growth and lack of plant life turned the basin into an eyesore.
Lake Tahoe, North America's largest alpine lake, has one of the highest effluent standards in the country. At the Ski Run Marina, the primary pollutants are phosphorus, nitrogen, and sediment, which promote algae blooms and loss of water clarity in the lake. Secondary pollutants included parking lot runoff — oil, grease and metals.
Another alternative proposed by the Redevelopment Agency required relocating the treatment system to one of the only remaining open spaces at a marina site closer to the lake. However, that option affected future plans to develop that area into a plaza.
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Source: Stormwater360