For nearly 50 years, oncologist and lifelong competitive swimmer Barbara Klencke has come to Lake Tahoe in the summer, and more recently year round as a permanent resident, to swim its majestic blue waters and appreciate its natural beauty.

“The clarity and color of the water is like no other,” Klencke said. “When the sun shines on the granite rocks that lie under the surface, they sparkle in the sunshine.”

Keeping the lake pristine is a motivating factor for Klencke’s involvement with the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center. For the past three years, she has participated in TERC CIRC—an annual seven-day kayaking event in June where participants circumnavigate Lake Tahoe with scientific experts to learn about the lake’s ecology, geology, and emerging challenges.

“Maintaining the beauty of the lake is synonymous with maintaining the health of the lake,” Klencke shared. “And that requires we maintain and restore the health of the entire ecosystem that affects the lake.”

As a physician, Klencke has been involved with research throughout her entire career and she embraces the opportunity to learn from scientists who study the health of the lake with the aim of identifying solutions to the challenges it faces.

So much of what I love about Lake Tahoe would not be possible without the last 60 years of TERC’s scientific research, advocacy, and data-supported interventions,” Klencke said.

Klencke donates to TERC to advance the science that protects Lake Tahoe—and encourages all those who love the lake to join her. Click here to learn more.

Source: TERC