Lake Tahoe Water Trail and Tahoe Adventure Company
Despite legislative delay, plans continue
By Joanna Hartman Sierra Sun September 5, 2007
The dream of a kayak and canoe trail around the shores of Lake Tahoe continues to move forward, despite recent delays in California legislation.
Assemblyman Ted Gaines, R-Roseville, scored an apparent victory in April when his Lake Tahoe Water Trail Bill, AB 1227, passed through the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.
Sponsored jointly by the Lake Tahoe Water Trail Committee and the South Shore Chamber of Commerce, the assembly bill would have authorized the creation of a kayak and canoe trail around the 72-mile perimeter of Lake Tahoe.
But the bill has since been waylaid and will likely be re-introduced by a new legislator next year, said Executive Director Patrick Wright of the California Tahoe Conservancy.
At a Tahoe City Public Utility District board of directors meeting Tuesday evening, Wright explained that even though a state mandate would have to wait another year, water trail plans are moving forward.
With or without enabling legislation, government agencies and interested parties have started to collaborate on how to establish the water trail.
What's a water trail? A water trail is mostly defined by public access points, officials say.
Not too different from the Tahoe Rim Trail, advocates want to see an official water trail around Lake Tahoe.
The designation gives it the extra footing it needs for tourism.
"The idea of easy access for portable boats to Lake Tahoe is one that has just exploded," said Sue Rae Irelan, recreation specialist with the California Tahoe Conservancy.
A map of public access points, campgrounds, lodging and points of interest already exists. It was created a few years ago by the Lake Tahoe Water Trail Committee - a group of volunteers dedicated to coordinating information about nonmotorized boat access points around Lake Tahoe.
But signage, directions and more official information would come with the water trail if mandated by the state.
"Kayakers as a whole are a pretty conscientious, respectful group of people. With a trail designated with where you can and can't go, kayakers, I think, would obey that," said Kevin Hickey, owner of Tahoe Adventure Company and a kayaker.
"I can't really see a reason not to have a [designated water trail]," he added.
Promoting sustainable recreation
Kayaking is exploding in popularity, the sport's advocates say, and a sanctioned water trail on Lake Tahoe would provide an opportunity to explore the shoreline with access points, resting places, campgrounds, lodging, points of interest and other facilities accommodating kayakers and canoeists.
Chesapeake Bay, Lake Champlain, rivers in Pennsylvania, and the San Francisco Bay are among the few places with designated water trails.
"It's one thing to have a trail network, it's another to have this designation," said Wright about the state legislation. "It makes all the difference to the tourism industry."
Kayaker Kevin Hickey, owner and director of Tahoe Adventure Company, agrees. "As kayaking itself has been growing as a sport, there are other water trails that exist and are very popular and successful as far as people using them," he said in a phone interview Wednesday. "We should be promoting sustainable recreation ... Getting out on the lake paddling is an awesome way to see Tahoe."
Advocates say that an organized trail with signage and directions would address anticipated problems between motorized and nonmotorized boats, although it wouldn't restrict either group's use of the lake.
"This is not an attempt to produce preference to one user group over any others," said Sue Rae Irelan, recreation specialist with the California Tahoe Conservancy. Additionally, a state designation can help significantly when it comes to funding, advocates say.
"If this is official through the state of California, it allows us to compete better for implementation money," Irelan said. "And it charges us to make sure we work with all the interest groups in the basin."
Beginning in 2003, volunteers formed a nonprofit organization, the Lake Tahoe Water Trail Committee, in an effort to coordinate information about nonmotorized boat access points around Lake Tahoe. They also produced in 2005 a trail map and trip-planning guide that are for sale throughout the region.
"A lake like Lake Tahoe is the perfect venue for a water trail - it's scenic, it's a lake whose water quality is threatened," Hickey said. "I think promoting nonmotorized recreation is certainly helpful for that cause."
- The Tahoe Daily Tribune's Adam Jensen contributed to this report.
"This was my first visit to Lake Tahoe, and my experience with the people at the Tahoe Adventure Company was great from start to finish. I received prompt responses from both the online info request and a phone message. Our starting point on the lake was easy to find, and the people onsite were immediately helpful and informative and had everything we needed. Robin was our guide - laidback, friendly, helpful, and full of tips and info!!! Our group of seven family members had never done this before, but we had a blast!!! We will definitely use them the next time we are in town." Tom S.
"Did the Sunset Tour and it was great, the weather was in our favor. The tour guides were friendly, it's not rushed and they don't bombard you with non stop information, just enough to keep you interesting and for you to enjoy." -AVP.
-- AVP
I do wish to thank you for the GREAT time we had with your instructors up at Tahoe, we all had a blast. The Teambuilding events we all competed in were very fun and creative. The evolution game was a great way to loosen us up. And you were right, all those "blind" games were fun. Everything worked like clockwork and after each event there were great applications which Kevin mentioned we could use around the work place. In the future if we ever need to do more teambuilding in Tahoe we will consider using TAC again it was a great experience. -Josh, TCS Healthcare Technologies
-- Josh, TCS Healthcare Technologies
"This is the 2nd year we have done this kayak tour with Tahoe Adventure Co. Jill, our guide was incredible! She is very, very knowledgeable about Lake Tahoe, Thunderbird Lodge, and all aspects of the greater Tahoe area. She took lots of photos of us and air dropped them to all of us. The company is very thorough with their emailed instructions and information. The logistics of everything was seamless. Thank you once again!" Karen T.