The piece of cable has been sticking out of the water at Baldwin Beach for years. Credit: South Tahoe Now
The lead-sheathed telecommunications cables resting in Lake Tahoe for decades are now out. In November 2024, agencies announced the removal of eight miles of cable between Baldwin Beach and Rubicon Bay; however, one section remained. Last week, AT&T and its partners removed the last few dozen yards of lead cable that had resided in the sands of Baldwin Beach and under the bed of Tallac Creek for nearly 70 years.
“Thank you to everyone for your support throughout the journey to removal,” Evan Dreyer told his followers via email on Sunday. “The execution of this important work is an unequivocal win for Lake Tahoe, and the culmination of years of efforts and coordination across government agencies, corporations and their partners, legal teams, various local groups, the community, and countless others. Together, we delivered this awesome, tangible outcome for future generations, and that next time you jump in the water should feel a little extra special.”
Dreyer had spent the last few years gathering signatures and speaking to groups to gather support for the cable removal with his group, “Get the Lead Out.” He told South Tahoe Now this summer that when corporations do the right thing, they should be celebrated and given credit.
Dreyer questioned the 2024 press releases, noting that the last section could still be seen sticking out of the water at Baldwin Beach. Knowing the full removal would be difficult, and while happy with the 97 percent completion last year, he was waiting for the final portion. The U.S. Forest Service had a watercress removal project at the last three percent segment, and earlier this month, its Tahoe Yellow Cress survey showed it was not in that area, and the lead cable removal project could continue.
A video of the lead cable being removed at Baldwin Beach provided by Dreyer:
“We’ll be forever grateful for their efforts, and carry forward an even deeper understanding for what they do so that all of us can enjoy Lake Tahoe and the public lands in each of their respective purviews,” Dreyer said of the seven agencies involved in removing the lead cable from Lake Tahoe, and again gave his appreciation to AT&T.
Seth Jones, who founded Below the Blue with Monique Rydel Fortner, had been cleaning trash out of the lake during a break in their Asian clam removal project in Emerald Bay in 2012 when they came across the cables.
Jones traced the owner to PacBell (now AT&T). PacBell switched to fiber optic phone cables over 30 years ago and abandoned the old cables at the bottom of the lake. The cables contained approximately three pounds of lead per foot and extended along the western shore of Lake Tahoe from Baldwin Beach to Rubicon Bay, including across the mouth of Emerald Bay.
Jones, who owns Marine Taxonomic Services, contacted the non-profit California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA), which brought suit against AT&T under federal law and California’s Proposition 65 to get the cable removed. After a successful fight on the lawsuit, the permitting got underway, and the long process is now complete.
