Tahoe is the term generally used to describe the area surrounding Lake Tahoe. Lake Tahoe is a freshwater lake that lies on the border of the states of California and Nevada. It is a popular domestic tourist destination’

FACT 1: The basin of Lake Tahoe was formed 2 to 3 million years ago. It was formed by a geological block fault. A block fault occurs when the earth’s crust fractures. This causes blocks of land to move up or down. The Tahoe fault caused the land to the east to rise creating the Carson Range in the East. In the west, the rising block created the Sierra Nevada. The dropped down block in between these two uplifted blocks formed the Lake Tahoe Basin.

FACT 2: The southern -most part of the basin filled with snow and rain water and was fed by mountain streams, creating the Ancient Lake Tahoe. In the newly created mountain ranges there were many high peaks. These include Freel Peak (3,320 m) Momment Peak (3043m), Pyramid Peak (3, 3043 m) and Mt Tallac (2,9967m)

FACT 3: The Modern Lake Tahoe was carved out of the Basin by glacial action during the Ice Age. The Ice Age occurred about one million years ago.

FACT 3: Lake Tahoe is the 2^nd deepest lake in the United States. The deepest lake is Crater Lake (594m). The measurement of the depth of the lake varies from day to day according to the volume of water at the time. The depth also depends on the point from which the depth is measured. The maximum depth measured has been 501 meters, but the average depth is 305 meters.

FACT 4: The depth of the lake coupled with the deep faults that lie under it makes the lake tsunami prone. An earthquake occurring at one of the faults can whip up a tsunami with 10m high waves. The tsunami can speed across the lake in a few minutes. The McKinney Bay was formed when a 100 m high tsunami caused the western edge of the Basin to collapse.

FACT 5: Lake Tahoe is the 6^th largest lake, by volume, in the USA. The five great lakes on the Canadian border precede it.

FACT 6: Approximately 63 streams flow into the Basin contributing to 50% of the water body. The rest of the water comes from rain of snow falling directly on the surface of the Lake. There is only one outlet. The Truckee River flows out to Pyramid Lake in Nevada.

FACT 7: In 1944 Kokanee salmon were trans located from the North Pacific to Lake Tahoe. Every year in September they swim up to Taylor Creek for the spawning season. After spawning the salmon die leaving behind vast quantities of nutrition for the mink, bear and Bald Eagles that inhabit the area.

FACT 8: Excessive hunting had made the beaver extinct in the Tahoe. Between 1934 and 1949 the US authorities re-introduced the beaver to the area. This mission was very successful and the Tahoe now host 3.5 beavers per square km.

FACT 9: In 1844, General John Fremont was the first European explorer to arrive in the Tahoe. Before that it was seasonally inhabited by the Washoe Indians.

FACT 10: The region has been developed as a fishing spot for avid anglers. Native fish include mountain whiteface, suckers, speckled dace, redside shiners and Paiute sculpin. In addition several species of trout and the Kokanee salmon have been introduced as sport fish. July and August is the most productive period for the anglers.