Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today released the following statement on the Tahoe Environmental Research Center’s report that Lake Tahoe’s average clarity level dropped to 59.7 feet in 2017, a 9.5-foot decrease from the previous year:

“A historic drought followed by extreme snowfall and an unusually warm summer led to the lowest clarity we’ve seen in Lake Tahoe in years. While this is frustrating news, it’s important to remember this year’s data is the outlier in the five-year average. It doesn’t negate the progress we’ve made in restoring Lake Tahoe.

“Successful restoration projects have also put us in a position to tackle the new challenges to the lake created by climate change. Lake Tahoe is warming faster than any large alpine lake, making it increasingly important to keep sediment and pollution runoff out of the lake.

“This report serves as a stark reminder about the importance of conservation and restoration efforts. Without that progress, the lake would already have been lost. We must continue investing in those efforts if we’re going to save Lake Tahoe.”