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This indicator measures noise levels in the wilderness and roadless land use areas. Cumulative noise or community noise equivalent level (CNEL) is a noise measurement based on a weighted average of all measured noise over a 24-hour period. Excessive noise in the Tahoe Region can impact wildlife, visitors’ experiences, and residents’ quality of life. Anthropogenic activities such as construction, vehicular travel, aircraft, recreation, and events are the primary drivers of community noise levels in the Region. Regional programs such as encouraging the use of low-noise pavement and limiting noise during night time hours reduce community noise levels in the Region. CNEL is monitored in plan areas across the Region annually.
Average CNEL noise levels in wilderness and roadless areas.
Data collected by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency. Access detailed datasets, including Noise Data Summaries, on Tahoe Open Data.
- Status
- At or Somewhat Better Than Target
- Trend
- Little or No Change
- Confidence
- High
- Compared to the 2019 Threshold Evaluation, there is little to no change in overall noise levels in Tahoe Region wilderness and roadless areas.
- Noise levels in each plan area are assessed using the maximum 24-hour noise measurement.
- The average noise level across all monitored wilderness and roadless areas is within the threshold standard.
Wilderness and roadless area noise monitoring locations within the Tahoe Basin.
This indicator measures 24-hour noise levels in Tahoe's wilderness and roadless land use category. Noise from sources such as on-highway vehicles, off-highway vehicles, over-snow vehicles, watercraft, and aircraft impacts the enjoyment of wilderness areas. In addition to existing federal, state, and local noise control regulations to address noise impacts on wildlife and people, TRPA adopted community noise equivalent levels (CNEL) for all land use categories in the Region. TRPA and local jurisdictions review proposed public and private projects to determine if the project would result in increases in existing CNEL that would exceed applicable standards (TRPA Code of Ordinances). Projects that would exceed applicable CNEL standards are required to mitigate project-related noise.
Anthropogenic noise levels affecting these land use categories and transportation corridors are generated from vehicles, roadway traffic, construction, aircraft, and recreational activity. Natural events such as thunderstorms and wind influence noise levels as environmental drivers.
Monitoring Programs
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Noise - Plan Areas
TRPA monitors background noise levels in all Plan Areas in the Tahoe Basin to ensure noise levels are not disturbing people and wildlife, and to maintain the unique characteristics of the Basin.
- At or Somewhat Better Than Target. To measure the current status, the average CNEL for all days measured within wilderness and roadless land use areas during the current evaluation period of 2020-2023 was used. The average CNEL during this period is 44 dB, which is 98 percent of the maximum allowable levels. Therefore, the current status is at or somewhat better than target.
- Little or No Change. To determine trend, the average CNEL for all days measured within wilderness and roadless land use areas for each reporting period is assessed. The percent change is -0.23, therefore, a trend of little to no change was determined.
- High. Noise monitoring follows monitoring protocol and has consistent data for several monitoring periods with spatial variation.
- High. Where the determination is that there is no trend and there is high confidence in the status, the confidence in the trend is high.
- High.
No photos available.
No documents available.