More than 8,500 pounds of trash left on Lake Tahoe shores following 4th of July

EYE CAN SEE ON LAKE TAHOE WEDNESDAY MORNING. >> THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT ABOUT IT. PEOPLE PARTIED, TRASHED, LEFT IT LIKE THAT. REPORTER: FOLLOWING THE FOURTH OF JULY HOLIDAY, PARTS OF THE LAKE LOOKING LIKE A DUMB SITE. COLIN WEST IS THE FOUNDER OF THE TAHOE BASED NONPROFIT CLEANUP THE LAKE. >> EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN. SHOES, SOCKS, HATS, COOLERS. REPORTER: HE AND A GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS SPENT THE DAY WEDNESDAY CLEANING UP THE MESS LEFT BEHIND BY VISITORS. THAT INCLUDES TRASH ON THE BEACHES AND ALSO INSIDE THE LAKE ITSELF. THE GROUP PICKED UP OVER 8500 POUNDS OF GARBAGE IN JUST ONE DAY. >> THIS HAS DEFINITELY BEEN ONE OF THE WORST CLEANUPS THAT I'VE BEEN ON -- INVOLVED IN IN ANY SINGLE DAY. REPORTER: LOCALS SAY IT'S THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT THAT HAS THEM WORRIED. RILEY MCCLARY IS AN ANIMAL PHOTOGRAPHER AND FILMMAKER. HE SAYS HE WENT OUT EARLY MY -- WEDNESDAY MORNING TO SEE WILDLIFE. WHEN HE SAW THE MESS LEFT BEHIND, HE DECIDED TO JOIN THE CLEANUP EFFORT INSTEAD. >> THERE'S NOTHING WORSE THAN SEEING A BEAUTIFUL ANIMAL GORGE ITSELF ON GARBAGE AND TRASH AND PLASTIC. REPORTER: THE TAHOE BASIN HAS BEEN A TOURIST DESTINATION. MANY LOCALS FEEL THIS HAS TO STOP. THAT'S WHY WEST IS CALLING ON ALL VISITORS TO DO THEIR PART TO MAKE SURE THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN. >> YOU ARE HERE BECAUSE IT'S BEAUTIFUL. BECAUSE IT'S AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE TO ENJOY WHAT WE HAVE IN THE TAHOE BASIN. SO WE NEED EVERYONE TO DO THEIR BEST TO PROTECT IT. REPORTER:

Channel: ABC7 News Bay Area

Views: 227,710

Keywords: news, abc, abc7news, clean up the lake, garbage left at lake tahoe, lake tahoe dirty, clean up lake tahoe, keep tahoe blue, priority, lake tahoe, tahoe 4th of july trash

Id: 5yyIikbRhyo

Length: 1min 55sec (115 seconds)

Published: Thu Jul 06 2023