Dirt was flying up at the site of the Tahoe South Events Center in order to beat the TRPA's Oct. 15 deadline.
Photo by Kurt Hildebrand.
Grading and digging season officially ends today in the Lake Tahoe Basin.
After Oct. 15, all construction sites must be appropriately winterized to protect Lake Tahoe’s famed water quality.
The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency requires all construction sites to be winterized to help prevent sediment from washing into streams and the lake and to prevent soil compaction and disturbance during the region’s historic period of wet weather. Site winterization requirements are available on the TRPA website.
The agency can approve grading season exceptions for projects on a case-by-case basis if a public health, safety, or water quality emergency exists.
Some limited activities do not require TRPA approval, even outside the grading season, including:
Paving, if all grading and base compaction is already complete.
Up to 3 cubic yards of soil disturbance that is not part of a larger project, if completed within 48 hours and if the site is stabilized to prevent erosion. This exemption applies to:
• Residential home landscaping and gardening projects, including irrigation work.
• Exempt residential fences up to 6 feet in height.
Projects that create or relocate impervious surfaces, also called land coverage, require a TRPA permit. The grading and digging season for permitted projects at Lake Tahoe will open again May 1, 2023.
