Restoring the Lake Depths Foundation

Cleaning Lake Tahoe from the surface down to 1,640 feet.

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Impact Statement

Over 13 tons of debris and removed from Lake Tahoe in summer 2024 alone. A fleet of four ROVs powered by Blue Robotics and Mission Robotics hardware, with Deep Emerald uniquely capable of reaching the rarely seen 1,640-foot depths. Volunteer divers and community members clean high-traffic beaches while the ROVs work below.

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The Five W's of Restoring the Lake Depths

Who

A certified Nevada 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2020 by Lindsay Kopf and her parents Jamie and Kathy Kopf, based in Zephyr Cove, Nevada. The only organization using remotely operated vehicles with a gripper tool for deep-water litter cleanup and surveying.

What

A fleet of four ROVs — including the flagship Deep Emerald with a 600-meter fiber optic tether — plus volunteer scuba and free divers, removing submerged debris from Lake Tahoe's depths. They also provide high-resolution underwater surveying photography and videography.

When

Founded in 2020. In the summer of 2024 alone, they removed over 13 tons of trash and debris from Lake Tahoe's south shore. In a single year they have recovered roughly 80 tires and nearly a ton of plastic.

Source: Restoring the Lake Depths

Where

Lake Tahoe, Nevada and California — the only lake they serve, but at depths no diver can reach: Deep Emerald can explore down to 1,640 feet.

Why

Lake Tahoe looks pristine from the surface, but abandoned fishing gear, plastic, and debris accumulate below, harming the ecosystem and the lake's legendary clarity. Removing it restores the lake to its original splendor.

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For Teachers

Discussion questions

  1. What is Restoring the Lake Depths Foundation, and what problem does it help solve?
  2. Who is behind Restoring the Lake Depths Foundation, and where does the work happen?
  3. How does Restoring the Lake Depths Foundation help both people and nature? Use one fact from this page.

Sources are listed with each fact in the Five W's above.

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Cite This Page

APA

Saving Planets. (n.d.). Restoring the Lake Depths Foundation. https://www.savingplanets.com/Restoring_the_Lake_Depths.html

MLA

"Restoring the Lake Depths Foundation." Saving Planets, https://www.savingplanets.com/Restoring_the_Lake_Depths.html.

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