New samples show Jet Skis still polluting Lake Tahoe

The water is being polluted by fuel additives from Jet Skis and other motor boats.

Water samples collected all around the lake contained the controversial fuel additive MTBE. It was found this summer as deep as 100 feet, said Carol Boughton of the U.S. Geological Survey.

"What I see happening is we're pretty much verifying what we found last year," she said.

Researchers from the University of Nevada and University of California joined with the USGS in gathering the samples since early this summer.

Pollution levels were far below those considered hazardous but higher than those detected early in the summer before much boating occurred.

Last year, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency approved a ban effective in June 1999 on the carbureted two-stroke engines that power Jet Skis, Sea-Doos and other personal watercraft.

"This is supporting our actions all the way through," said Jim Baetge, TRPA executive director.

Results of this summer's studies are being forwarded this week to John Reuter of the University of California Tahoe Research Group.

Samples taken by the USGS at nine monitoring stations around the lake detected low-level traces of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) and other gasoline compounds, including benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylene.

A 10th monitoring station at Angora Lake - a small alpine lake in the Tahoe Basin where motorboats are prohibited - showed no levels of contaminants.

Boughton said that should put to rest speculation that air pollution may cause the problem.

"It appears not to be an airborne issue," she said.

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