Watershed Wide K-12 Watershed Education

The watershed-wide (Tahoe Basin and middle Truckee River) K-12 watershed education efforts are led by Sierra Watershed Education Partnerships (SWEP), in collaboration with Lake Tahoe Environmental Education Coalition (LTEEC), Truckee River Education Coalition (TREC), Tahoe Truckee Unified School District, Lake Tahoe Unified School District, Tahoe Resource Conservation District, Truckee River Watershed Council, UC Sagehen Research Station, Teachers Adventure Outdoor Education, and others.

SWEP provides a South Shore Community Coordinator who works with Lake Tahoe USD, and a Program Director who works with Tahoe Truckee USD. In addition, a Program Manager provides professional development to classroom teachers, administrators, nonformal educators and community members. LTEEC provides an Environmental Education Coordinator for the entire basin.

Guidance for the K-12 Watershed Education program is provided by the South Tahoe Leadership Group, the North Tahoe Leadership Group, the Truckee River Education Council, and the LTEEC Steering Committee.

Major efforts in watershed education are documented in the strategic plan and the Symposium for Environmental Education inTahoe Schools, held in September 2004.

Funding for these K-12 watershed education efforts is primarily through Prop 13 (nonpoint source pollution management) grants from the California State Water Resource Control Board, with additional funding from a variety of sources. No funding is currently available from Nevada sources, so efforts on the Nevada side of the basin are in abeyance.