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The scenic quality rating for a shoreline travel unit is a distinct score for the individual view of specific features of the landscape. 'Scenic resources', as they are called, are seen from a specific location within a shoreline travel unit looking back to the shoreline. Tracking these changes is important because it provides a measure of how changes in land use and development over time affect these resources. The primary drivers affecting scenic quality in the shoreline areas of Lake Tahoe are land use, and the visual exposure and visual/aesthetic characteristics of development visible from Lake Tahoe. The TRPA Code of Ordinances specifies design standards and guidelines for new development and redevelopment projects along the shoreline through the Scenic Shoreland Ordinances adopted in 2002 and is intended to attain the threshold standards as older development is gradually replaced with newer development that has reduced visual impacts. Also, the 2018 Shoreline Plan provides design standards to mitigate the scenic impacts of new shoreline structures authorized under the plan. Every four years, a team of professionals examines and evaluates the quality of scenic resources along Tahoe's shoreline.
- Status
- At or Somewhat Better Than Target
- Trend
- Little or No Change
- Confidence
- High
- Overall, the views of 92% of scenic resources (170 out of 184) have been maintained or improved from baseline since adoption.
- The scenic quality of three shoreline scenic resources increased in 2019 and one additional resource (Cedar Flat 18.4) came into attainment. These increases were due to increased vegetation screening and residential rebuilds that conform to improved design standards of the scenic Shoreland Ordinances.
- The exposed linear quality of the cut bank for the new trail connecting Incline Village and Sand Harbor puts at risk degrading the visual quality of three scenic resources along the east shore of Lake Tahoe. Screening vegetation has been planted and the visual impact to the scenic resources will be reassessed in the next evaluation after the vegetation has become established and matures.
Shoreline travel units 2019 attainment status and shoreline scenic resources. Zoom in on the map and click on the scenic resource points to view photos of individual scenic resources.
- This indicator tracks changes in the scenic quality of 184 scenic resources associated with shoreline travel units. Tracking these changes is important because it provides a measure of how changes in land use and development affect these resources over time.
- The primary drivers affecting scenic quality in the Lake Tahoe Region are land use, land and resource management activities, and the visual/aesthetic characteristics of manmade development.
Local and Regional Plans
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Scenic Quality Improvement Program
The program is a comprehensive strategy for improving the overall quality of the built environment and attaining and maintaining the scenic quality goals of the Tahoe Region.
- As of 2019, 179 of the 184 shoreline scenic resources (97.3 percent) meet the threshold standard. Scores increased for three resources with one resource coming into attainment.
- The percentage of shoreline scenic resources in attainment decreased five percent between 1991 and 2001. Since 2001, there has been a small but steady increase in the percent of units in attainment. While this improvement has occurred since 2001, it is small enough to be considered little to no change.
- High. A documented, reviewed, and accepted monitoring protocol is used to guide the collection, analysis, and reporting of the scenic monitoring data. Monitoring data is collected according to procedures outlined in the 1982 Study Report for the Establishment of Environmental Threshold Carrying Capacities, and the Status and Trend Monitoring Report for Scenic Resources in the Lake Tahoe Basin, which set forth a methodology for measuring change in scenic quality over time. The methods are consistent with those employed by the USDA Forest Service, and are considered standard practice. This equates to a high level of confidence in the status determination.
- High. There is a slowly increasing trend in the percent of units in attainment since 2001.
- High
No photos available.
- Uploaded On
- 12/17/2021
- File Type
- Description