Wilderness And Roadless Areas
This indicator measures community 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. Primary drivers of community noise levels in the Region have been attributed to anthropogenic activities such as vehicular travel in transportation corridors and aircraft activity at the South Lake Tahoe Airport. Regional programs such as encouraging the use of low-noise pavement and limiting noise at outdoor concerts aim to reduce community noise levels in the Region. CNEL is monitored in plan areas across the Region once every four years.
Status
Noise levels in wilderness and roadless areas.
Evaluation Map
Wilderness and roadless area noise monitoring locations within the Tahoe Basin.
2019 Evaluation
- Status
- At or Somewhat Better Than Target
- Trend
- Little or No Change
- Confidence
- Moderate
Applicable Standard
For the wilderness/roadless land use category, noise levels shall not exceed a CNEL of 45 Dba.
Key Points
- Compared to the 2015 Threshold Evaluation Report, 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 (i.e., the loudest noise measurement of the day, regardless of duration). Most days most plan areas are within the noise standards, although many plan areas exceed the noise standard on a few days.
- Average noise levels across all monitored wilderness and roadless areas are within the threshold standard.
Delivering and Measuring Success
Monitoring Programs
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Noise - Plan Areas
Noise monitors are put out in some Wilderness and Roadless Plan Areas for 1 to 2 weeks during peak noise periods (generally summer). The average 24-hour CNEL measured is used to assess noise levels.