Overview

The history of Lake Tahoe begins with the Washoe Indians who managed its resources for thousands of years, selectively utilising its bounty. The relatively brief Euro-American history at Lake Tahoe began in the mid-nineteenth century. Though awestruck by the lake’s beauty, the new arrivals were also intent on harvesting its abundant resources. In a mere half century, the basin’s forests and fisheries were destroyed, the lake’s pristine clarity dramatically reduced. Left alone, nature healed itself, and by the 1960s mature forests once again surrounded the lake. Its water clarity improved, to a visibility more than one hundred feet deep. However, Tahoe’s wonders brought a new kind of threat: millions of annual visitors and incessant development, including ski resorts and casinos. Saving Lake Tahoe looks at the interaction through the years between human activities and Tahoe’s natural ecosystems. It is a dramatic story of ecological disasters and near misses, political successes and failures. Utilising primary sources and interviews with key figures, Makley provides a meticulously researched account of the battles surrounding the management of the Tahoe basin. Makley takes the story up to the present, describing the formation and evolution of a new type of governing body, the bi-state Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, and groundbreaking efforts to utilise science in establishing policy. He depicts the passionate fights between those who seek to preserve the environment and advocates of individual property rights. Although Tahoe remains unique in its splendor, readers will understand why, with continued pressure for development, reversing environmental deterioration and improving the lake water’s clarity remain elusive goals.

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Reviews

There is much in Saving Lake Tahoe of value. It is certainly the most detailed look at the complex efforts to share this fragile and valuable resource. --H-net Reviews in the Humanities and Social Sciences-- H-net Reviews in the Humanities and Social Sciences The University of Nevada Press and Makley have done Tahoe scholarship an important service by bringing this fine work to publication. --Western Historical Quarterly-- Western Historical Quarterly Makley brilliantly captures this saga on 233 pages, citing a linear account of environmental events of major impact. --North Lake Tahoe Bonanza-- North Lake Tahoe Bonanza

Makley brilliantly captures this saga on 233 pages, citing a linear account of environmental events of major impact. --North Lake Tahoe Bonanza-- North Lake Tahoe Bonanza The University of Nevada Press and Makley have done Tahoe scholarship an important service by bringing this fine work to publication. --Western Historical Quarterly-- Western Historical Quarterly There is much in Saving Lake Tahoe of value. It is certainly the most detailed look at the complex efforts to share this fragile and valuable resource. --H-net Reviews in the Humanities and Social Sciences-- H-net Reviews in the Humanities and Social Sciences

Author Information

Michael J. Makley has written six books on western history, including The Infamous King of the Comstock, which won Foreword magazine’s Silver Award for biography in 2007. Booklist called his most recent work, A Short History of Lake Tahoe, “a polished gem,” commenting: “Makley’s work could serve as a blueprint for writing relevant and engaging local history.” He lives in the Sierra Nevada near Lake Tahoe.

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