For more than 40 years, UC Davis' Charles Goldman and his Tahoe Research Group have studied Lake Tahoe's ecology, aiming to inform public policy decisions regarding the Sierra Nevada treasure, and ultimately, to show how to preserve the beauty and health of the 10th-deepest lake in the world. The researchers' findings have resulted in the banning of dumped sewage into the lake, strict building controls, installation of major erosion-control projects, establishment of water-quality thresholds and control of non-point source pollution. Of current concern is the lake's clarity. During the past two years, UC Davis researchers have focused on research and monitoring to implement a successful restoration program for Lake Tahoe. Goldman believes that the situation "must be addressed in the next 10 to 12 years before the lake reaches a point of no return." To prepare to restore the lake, UC Davis researchers have studied the impact of the fuel additive MTBE in mountain lakes, examined plant-growth nutrients for their role in eroding the lake's clarity, begun developing a water-quality model that would allow for better long-term planning for public policy regarding Lake Tahoe, and documented a serious decline in dissolved oxygen in the lake, another indicator that restoration must begin in earnest. The researchers point to the Lake Tahoe basin as a model for other subalpine watersheds in the Sierra Nevada and in the mountainous western United States. Work done by scientists at UC Davis studying the water, air quality, forests and geology embraces a multidisciplinary approach to resolving critical issues in the Tahoe basin and the Sierra Nevada. "In the rapidly growing western United States, an understanding of ecological processes at the boundary between urbanized and pristine landscapes must be addressed," the researchers say. UC Davis research in the Tahoe basin is extensive. Here is a brief list of key UC Davis researchers working to understand more about the environmental forces at work in the region: o Charles Goldman, principal investigator, the UC Davis Tahoe Research Group. Lab, (530) 583-3279; office, (530) 752-1557; crgoldman@ucdavis.edu. Internationally renowned for his work on lake ecology, Goldman has studied ecological research at Lake Tahoe and Castle Lake, Calif., since 1958. He particularly studies the role of algal growth in the lakes, the impact of climate and weather, and the use and importance of long-term data in environmental research. Goldman's core research is directed toward a better understanding of lake processes and ways to preserve lake water quality. o John Reuter, associate research ecologist. Lab, (530) 583-3279; jereuter@ucdavis.edu. Reuter directs the Lake Tahoe Interagency Monitoring Program, a multi-agency monitoring and research effort formed to understand the effects of watershed and atmospheric processes on the water quality of Lake Tahoe. He has studied numerous aspects of human impacts on Lake Tahoe's ecology, including the implications of MTBE for Sierra lakes. o Robert Richards, staff research associate. Lab, (530) 583-3279; bcrichards@ucdavis.edu. Richards has extensive experience in limnological field research, lab management, fisheries and public educational outreach. He has directed the UC Davis Tahoe City field laboratory since 1969. He is captain of the research boat the John Le Conte. o Jeffrey Mount, chair, geology department. Office, (530) 752-7092; jfmount@ucdavis.edu. Mount is a watershed expert, specializing in the rivers of California and land-use impacts on watersheds, rivers and streams. o Robert Flocchini, acting director of the UC Davis John Muir Institute of the Environment and professor of land, air and water resources, (530) 752-9955, rgflocchini@ucdavis.edu. Flocchini studies the distribution of airborne particles in relation to meteorological conditions to identify transport patterns for pollutants. His work has focused on documenting particulate concentrations in areas remote from urban sources such as national parks and wilderness areas. o Michael Barbour, environmental horticulture professor, (530) 752-2956, mgbarbour@ucdavis.edu. Barbour studies wildland vegetation of California, particularly the natural dynamics of conifer forests and the effect of management practices on those forests. He examines community structure and how dominant species respond to environmental stress.