Overview

• On August 1, USDA Forest Service tests detected elevated E. coli levels near Camp Richardson Resort on Lake Tahoe’s South Shore, leading to a health advisory for waters between Jameson Beach and the Valhalla Boathouse.
• Resort crews located the sewer line leak, removed contaminated soil, backfilled the breach with clean sand and are completing repairs in a response informed by last summer’s north shore spill that led to an $850,000 fine.
• Follow-up samples collected by August 4 confirmed that contamination remains confined to the immediate area, with nearby beaches testing within state safety standards.
• State and federal agencies including El Dorado County Environmental Management and the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board have widened sampling east and west of the site to track E. coli levels and inform when restrictions can be lifted.
• No illnesses have been reported as daily water monitoring continues to determine when it is safe to reopen the affected shoreline.