On March 13, 2019, the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board (Lahontan Water Board) adopted Resolution No. R6T-2019-0010, amending the Water Quality Control Plan for the Lahontan Region (Basin Plan). The State Water Resources Control Board approved the amendment under Resolution No. 2019-0028 on June 18, 2019.

Resolution No. R6T-2019-0010 removes a prohibition on new pier construction in sensitive areas along the California side of Lake Tahoe. The Basin Plan Amendment would allow lakefront property owners in El Dorado and Placer Counties to construct new piers in areas determined to be within significant spawning habitat. Areas immediately offshore of stream inlets in Lake Tahoe remain protected by other Basin Plan prohibitions.

The Basin Plan amendment: (1) provides area-wide consistency regarding pier development, (2) results in de minimis potential affects to spawning habitat and offshore stream inlet areas, and (3) acknowledges existing regulatory oversight provides adequate protection.