November 10, 2023 – El Dorado County Sheriff's Office officials report that the Sheriff's Office has been conducting extra patrols of the meadows and trails around Trout Creek and the Golden Bear neighborhood in unincorporated South Lake Tahoe. Through diligent foot patrol efforts, Deputies located individuals who were engaging in illegal activities, many hidden in makeshift campsites surrounded by tree limbs had been cut and re-purposed to provide concealment. Arrests were made for possession of narcotics paraphernalia and outstanding warrants. Citations were also issued for violating the county ordinance which prohibits camping with 100 feet of the watershed. The damage to our public lands and natural resources from those engaging in illegal activities near waterways is costly to the taxpayer and it tarnishes the beauty of Lake Tahoe. Litter and human waste from the watershed ultimately flows into the Upper Truckee River and into the lake itself. As a part of "Total Care", your Sheriff's Office does offer assistance and resources to those in need. However, we take a "Total Enforcement" stance when it comes to illegal activities that harm our community and present a danger to the environment.
This week, we followed up to our enforcement efforts by organizing a clean-up of trails near the watershed and county neighborhoods with Clean Tahoe, a community based non-profit organization, and United States Forest Service Law Enforcement Officers. Deputies and USFS LEOs worked side by side with Clean Tahoe to remove hazardous items that had been discarded and abandoned. Several large truckloads of batteries, butane and propane bottles, aerosol paint cans, lighters, BBQ and fire pits, flat tires, bicycle parts, chain link fencing, and scattered litter were hauled away for proper disposal.
We greatly appreciate the residents who stopped to thank us as we conducted the clean-up. Residents are encouraged to proactively report litter to Clean Tahoe at Report Litter & Trash | Clean Tahoe Program (clean-tahoe.org) and illegal activities to Sheriff's Dispatch at 530-573-3300. By working together as a community, we can keep Lake Tahoe beautiful for all to enjoy.
Source & photos: El Dorado County Sheriff's Office
