Lake Tahoe Facts and Information

L A K E T A H O E S T A T I S T I C S

* Length - 22 Miles

* Width - 12 Miles

* Depth - 1,645 Feet

* Average Depth - 1,000 Feet

* Shoreline - 72 Miles

* Capacity - 122,160,280 Acre/ft

( NOTE: 1 ACRE/FT = 325,851 GALLONS OF WATER!!! )

* Average Surface Elevation - 6,225 FT

* Average Floor Elevation - 4,580 FT

* Maximum Surface Temp - 70 Degrees F

* Minimum Surface Temp - 40 Degrees F

* Water Clarity - 100 Feet

* Outlets - 1 (The Truckee River at Tahoe City)

* Inlets - 65

* Surface Area - 193 Square Miles

* Average Snowfall (Lake) - 125 Inches `

* Average Snowfall (peaks) - 300-500 Inches

* Highest Peak (Freel Peak) - 10,891 Feet

HOW WAS LAKE TAHOE FORMED?

The Lake Tahoe Basin was formed by geologic block faulting. Two principal steep faults evolved, the eastern margin created the Carson Range while the Sierra Nevada mountains rose on the western side. Lake Tahoe formed near the southern and lowest part of the basin, fed by snow, rain, and draining rivers and creeks. The lake level increased until it found an outlet, then near the present town of Truckee. Eventually, several active volcanoes poured lava into the basin, damning the outlet. Lake Tahoe's waters rose several hundred Feet higher than today's present lake level. Finally, a new outlet was cut east of the volcano Mt. Pluto, the present location of Northstar Ski Area. During the Ice Age, glaciers scoured the surrounding landscape to the shape as we know it today. Moraines, glacial debris left behind, blocked the outlet again, changing it to the present Truckee River outlet at Tahoe City.

WHY IS LAKE TAHOE'S WATER SO CLEAR?

Over 40% of the precipitation falling into the Lake Tahoe Basin falls directly into the lake. The remaining precipitation drains through Tahoe's sterile granitic soils into the lake, relatively "pure" of sediment and waste. Another modern day factor is that Tahoe exports all sewage from the basin. Although Lake Tahoe is going through a natural aging process (succession), filling up with sediment like most lakes, everyone needs to make an effort to keep the area clean!

Thanks, THE UNDERGROUND

WHAT ARE LAKE TAHOE'S LARGEST PEAKS?

1. Freel Peak 10,891 Feet

2. Monument Peak 10,067 Feet

3. Pyramid Peak 9,983 Feet

4. Mt. Tallac 9,753 Feet

* The Natural level of Lake Tahoe (its natural rim) is at an elevation of 6,223 feet above sea level. (This is the elevation where water would be too low to flow out into the Truckee River.)

* Lake Tahoe is the 2nd deepest lake in the United states and the is the 3rd deepest lake in North America. It also ranks as the 10th deepest in the world. It's deepest point is 1,657 feet near Crystal Bay.

* The floor of Lake Tahoe is at about 4,580 Feet, which is lower than the surface of the Carson Valley to the east.

* Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America.

* Tipping over Tahoe (umm.. yah?) would cover California with 14.5 inches of water, and would cover Texas with a mere 8.5 inches.

* There is enough water in Lake Tahoe to cover the entire state of California to a depth of 14 inches, or California and Nevada to a depth of 8 inches.

* Lake Tahoe could supply everyone in the United States with 50 gallons of water a day for 5 years.

* Every 24 hours 1,400,000 tons of water evaporate from the lake which drops the lake level only by 1/10th of an inch on average.

* The amount of water that evaporates from the surface of Lake Tahoe every year could supply a city the size of Los Angeles for 5 years.

* The Panama Canal (700 Feet wide and 50 Feet in depth) could be filled by Lake Tahoe's water and extend completely around the earth at the equator, with enough remaining in the lake to fill another channel of the same width and depth running from San Francisco to New York.

* Lake Tahoe never freezes due to a constant mass movement of water from the bottom to the surface.

* The average surface temperature of the water is 50 degrees F. in the winter and 68 degrees F. in the summer. Below 750 feet the temperature range is between 39 and 42 degrees F. throughout the year.

* The largest fish ever caught in Lake Tahoe was a 37 LB 6 OZ Macinaw lake trout.

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Some Other Lake Tahoe Information provided by the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit of the US Forest Service

Lake Tahoe is as long as the English Channel is wide. The Panama Canal, 700 Feet wide and 50 Feet deep, could be filled with Tahoe's water even if it circled the globe at the equator -- and there would still be enough water left to fill a canal of the same size running from San Francisco to New York.

If Lake Tahoe was tipped over, the water would cover California to a depth of fourteen and a half inches. (Texas would only be covered to a depth of eight and a half inches.)

The Lake is fed by 63 streams and two hot springs. An average 1,400,000 tons of water (or one-tenth of an inch) evaporates every day. That's more than is released through the Truckee River, or enough to supply the daily water requirements of 3,500,000 people.

While ice may sometimes form along the shoreline inlets, Lake Tahoe has never been known to freeze over.

Contrary to popular belief, Lake Tahoe is not the deepest lake in the world, or even in the United States. It is tenth deepest in the world

and third deepest lake in North America, just behind Crater Lake, Oregon, at 1,932 Feet, with a surface elevation of 6,176 Feet.

Many drowning victims are never recovered from Lake Tahoe. The cold water at lower depths preserves the bodies and prevents the formation of gases that would otherwise float them to the surface.

As an "interstate navigable waterway," Lake Tahoe is protected by the U. S. Coast Guard (and is reputed to be the most desirable Coast Guard duty station in the world).

Our Town - Lake Tahoe, Facts and Figures

http://www.southlaketahoeca.com/ourtown/facts.html

Lake Tahoe is located 200 miles northeast of San Francisco, CA. and 58 miles southwest of Reno, NV. in the Sierra Mountain Range.

Lake Tahoe is the North American Continent's largest Alpine lake and is 22 miles long, 12 miles wide, and covers a surface area of 191.6 square miles, and has 72 miles of shoreline.

Lake Tahoe is 2/3 in California and 1/3 in the State of Nevada.

The Lake's surface is 6,226.95 feet above sea level and the natural rim is 6,223 feet above sea level, making it the highest Lake of its size in the United States.

Mt. Tallac at 9,735 feet is the highest peak rising from the shoreline. The highest point in the Tahoe Basin is Freel Peak at 10,881 feet.

Lake Tahoe is the third deepest lake in North America and the tenth deepest in the world. (Lake Baikal, in Russia, is the deepest at over 4,600 feet.) Tahoe's deepest point is 1,645 feet near Crystal Bay. The average depth of Lake Tahoe is 989 feet.

The estimated 39.75 trillion gallons of water contained in the lake is 99.9 percent pure, with visibility to 75 feet below the surface.

If Lake Tahoe was completely drained, it would cover a flat area the size of California to a depth of 14 inches, but would take over 700 years to refill.

Lake Tahoe is, geologically, a "young lake" having been formed 10,000 to 11,000 years ago.

Glaciers are responsible for carving out the broad U-shaped valleys that hold Emerald Bay, Fallen Leaf Lake, and Cascade Lake.

Sixty-three streams flow into Lake Tahoe, but only one, the Truckee River, run past Reno and into Pyramid Lake.

Lake Tahoe loses much of its water to evaporation. If the water that evaporates from the Lake every 24 hours could be recovered, it would supply the daily requirements of a city the size of Los Angeles.

Although the summer's heat can warm the upper 12 feet to a comfortable 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Lake Tahoe never freezes over in the winter; this is due to the constant 39 degrees Fahrenheit maintained at depths below 700 feet, largely because of the constant movement and volume of water.

The sun shines at Lake Tahoe approximately 274 days a year. Weather in the Sierras can be unpredictable -- snow, for example, has fallen in every month and averages 420 inches a year.

Population: South Lake Tahoe, including the Stateline area, has a permanent, year-round population of 34,000.

Sunshine: The sun shines at Lake Tahoe during 75% of the year, or 274 days.

Snowfall: At lake level, annual snowfall averages 125 inches. At alpine skiing elevations, the snowfall averages 300 to 500 inches each year.

Gaming: There are six 24-hour casinos in the South Lake Tahoe area. Together, they have a total of 7,051 slot machines and 411 game tables.

Skiing: Skiers can hit the slopes on one of the 182 ski trails in the midst of more than 8,800 total ski resort acres. The longest ski run in the area is 5.5 miles long. Lake Tahoe's greatest vertical drop is 3,600 feet. Both runs are at Heavenly.

Fishing: The biggest fish ever caught in Lake Tahoe, a Mackinaw lake trout, weighed 37 pounds and 6 ounces.

Famous Residents: Famous neighbors include and have included Charles Bronson, Cher, Natalie Cole, Sammy Davis Jr., Liza Minelli, Wayne Newton and the Captain and Tennile.

Movies Filmed at Lake Tahoe: Indian Love Call, starring Jeanette McDonald, was the first movie to be filmed at Lake Tahoe in the 1920's. Subsequent films have included The Godfather, starring Al Pacino and Marlon Brando and The Bodyguard, filmed at Fallen Leaf Lake, starring Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston.

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