Lake Tahoe is known for its clear blue water but divers with Clean Up the Lake say there’s another side people don’t always see.
The documentary 72 Miles follows the team as they clean all seventy-two miles of Tahoe’s underwater shoreline. The project took place in 2021 and 2022.
Divers worked in freezing water and difficult weather. They also dealt with wildfire evacuations during the Caldor Fire and heavy snowstorms.
By the end of the cleanup, the team had removed over 25,000 pounds of trash from the lake.
The project became about much more than picking up trash, said Colin West, founder and film director.
“This entire film really chronicles those hardships and the passion and the dedication that the team had to really protect our own backyard,” West said.
The film also shows what divers found under the surface, items such as old cans, plastic and fishing gear.
Clean Up the Lake is now starting a second cleanup around Tahoe.
