INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – Community members are throwing pasta strainers, kitty litter scoops, buckets, tarps, leaf blowers, and shop vacuums at cleaning up potentially hundreds of thousands of styrofoam beads that washed ashore Incline and Ski Beach on Sunday. To the unknowing onlooker, the beads look like snow that has settled into drifts around the beach.

The source of the nearly Dippin’ Dot sized beads—a floating dock— was discovered Sunday afternoon. The dock likely broke open during the storm, scattering an unknown amount of plastic styrofoam beads into the lake.

The Incline Village Improvement District removed the damaged dock Monday morning and volunteers have been working since to clean up its remnant pellets.

---

---

Colin West of Clean Up the Lake says the storm’s large waves threw the beads high onto the shore, keeping them 10 to 20 feet from the water level.

But cleanup hasn’t been easy. The environmental nonprofit founder picked up kitty litter scoops, just to find that the beads fell through them. Volunteers then turned to pasta strainers, but the sand didn’t strain quick enough.

---

---

Shop vacuums seemed to finally be ticket, but the team discovered the storm churned the beads into the sand.

To counter this challenge, helpers have put together what West equates to a curling team. Helpers with brooms and shovels surround an individual holding a leaf blower pointed at a tarp backdrop. Those positioned with brooms and shovels dig, throw, and sweep the sand into the path of the forced air, sending the beads into the tarp.

There are talks of using BEBOT, a sand sifting robot, but it’s possible the beads are too small for the filter.

It’s also likely there isn’t time to pull it out of storage as volunteers are also racing the clock as another storm is expected to roll in Wednesday morning.

West says it’s a lesson for people to be aware of what they bring to the lake. Water vessels, equipment, dock materials, even dog and beach toys, contain these extremely hard to clean up and environmentally damaging beads.

He says the lake has been found to contain one of the highest concentrations of microplastics, and, “today has only contributed to that in a much worse way.”

Clean up the Lake, Diamond Peak, IVGID members, and other community volunteers all pitched in Monday. They will likely be at it again Tuesday, depending on the weather.

West says every bit of help counts and encourages anyone to help collect the beads. Those who’d like to be a part of their effort can reach out for details. Clean Up the Lake’s phone number is (530) 562-7131 and their email is info@cleanupthelake.org.

The organization will also post updates on Facebook and Instagram.