Working together to create fire-resilient communities in the Lake Tahoe Basin.
The Tahoe Water for Fire Suppression Partnership is a bi-state collaboration of Lake Tahoe Basin water agencies formed in response to the 2007 Angora Fire.
The Partnership’s mission is to accelerate the installation of a resilient water infrastructure to address fire suppression needs.
Robust water infrastructure serves a vital purpose to protect the environment, economy, and people against catastrophic wildfire.
The Tahoe Water for Fire Suppression Partnership works closely with our local and regional Fire Protection agencies to advance support for critical fuels management and water infrastructure projects.
Water Infrastructure for Firefighting
Maintaining and upgrading the region’s aging water infrastructure to provide critical water to defend our communities against catastrophic wildfires.
The Partnership installs Water Infrastructure for Firefighting that upgrades the region’s antiquated water infrastructure, originally built only to support summer cabins. This includes the installation of new fire hydrants, upsized waterlines, new water storage tanks, emergency generators, and critical interties between the public and private water companies.
How You Can Help
The infrastructure investments required to upgrade the water systems of the Tahoe Basin is beyond what can be financed through ratepayer revenue alone due to the rural, low-density nature of the systems.
The TCPUD, North Tahoe PUD, and South Tahoe PUD are leading advocacy efforts to generate state and federal funding crucial to increasing the pace and scale of investment in critical water infrastructure for firefighting — and we need your help.
Make your voice heard — share your strong support with your local elected representatives for water infrastructure improvement projects and ask your state and federal representatives to fund water infrastructure for fire suppression improvements.
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Confronted with the 2021 Caldor Fire, the investments in water infrastructure and forest management demonstrated how vital these combined efforts were in protecting lives and property in the Tahoe Basin, as not a single home was lost in Christmas Valley.
Importantly, the past investments in water infrastructure provided sufficient water supply to fight the Caldor fire. If the fire had hit a deficient part of the water system, a different outcome would likely have occurred.
Caldor Fire (2021) – Christmas Valley Map
Since 2009, the partnership has leveraged over $20 million in Federal Funding to install over $52 million of critical fire suppression projects.
With 77% of the Tahoe Basin designated as national forest, the Partnership has collaborated closely with the U.S. Forest Service to implement projects with a direct nexus to improving emergency fire suppression response in the wildland urban interface.
Congress has also responded by authorizing funding for water infrastructure for fire suppression projects in the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act.
Over the next 5 years, the Partnership expects an additional investment of $120 million is needed to protect Lake Tahoe communities from wildfire by improving the capacity of water availability and fire flows for firefighters. The cost is more than can be financed through rate payer revenue alone.
With additional federally allocated funding, the Partnership can continue to accelerate implementation of the highest priority water infrastructure for fire suppression projects in the region.
Tahoe Water for Fire Suppression Partnership
If you are interested in learning more about the Tahoe Water for Fire Suppression Partnership
and our initiatives please reach out via email to [email protected].
Lakeside Mutual Water Company (CA)
Lukins Brothers Water Company (CA)
Tahoe Park Water Company/Talmont Resort (CA)
Tahoe Swiss Village (CA)
Tahoe Keys Water Company (CA)
Spring Creek (CA)
Douglas County Community Development (NV)
Kingsbury General Improvement District (NV)