Goldman is widely known for his decades of annual reports on the decline of Lake Tahoe's famous water clarity. His most recent report in late February showed a marked improvement that Goldman hopes is evidence of the lake's capacity to recover. He said it is unknown to whether several years of drought or the extensive restoration efforts underway in the basin in recent years are more responsible for the improvement. Goldman said his lecture will include arguments for continued long-term data collection, including paleolimnological studies of sedimentation and pollutants, as the key to better understanding and managing Tahoe, its surrounding watershed, and basin air quality.

"In the past, many policy decisions by regulatory agencies have been based on scanty short-term data that are sometimes lacking methodologically or subject to superficial interpretation. Such a case occurred during a short-term drought-related improvement in transparency at Tahoe," he noted in remarks prepared in advance of his lecture, and before the latest water clarity reports. "Convincing the public at large that ecosystems must be protected remains a major obstacle."

Goldman's research has involved numerous other fresh water lakes in the U.S. and worldwide, including eight expeditions to Lake Baikal in Siberian Russia. He considers the Lake Tahoe experience "a microcosm for the study of change," and indicated that his lecture will show that lessons learned in the Tahoe effort could have global application. “

"The efforts of environmental scientists must be directed toward meeting the growing domestic and global challenges for restoration and preservation of our increasingly limited water supplies," Goldman said. "Strong science-based and well-integrated environmental research must be at the forefront in developing improved adaptive management practices for our western states and aquatic ecosystems worldwide."

A nonprofit, statewide division of the University and Community College System of Nevada, DRI pursues a full-time program of basic and applied environmental research on a local, national, and international scale. Nearly 500 full- and part-time scientists, technicians, and support staff conduct some 150 research projects at DRI annually. More than 85 percent of DRI's annual $33 million operating budget consists of research grants and contracts obtained by its scientists. The balance is received from the state of Nevada for administrative costs.

Abstract: 16th Nevada Medal Lecture

A multitude of largely anthropogenic stresses are threatening aquatic ecosystems worldwide and the western United States is no exception. To meet the challenge of maintaining ecosystem integrity, a more rapid conversion of basic environmental science to management decisions is essential. The construction of hydroelectric reservoirs in Africa and Central and South America, the demise of the Aral Sea in Russia, the Three Gorges project in China, new developments along Lake Baikal's shores in Russian Siberia and the continuing loss of clarity in Lake Tahoe all provide clear demonstrations of the global problems to be faced in this 21st Century. The conservation and restoration of lakes and streams as well as the protection of drinking water sources from pollution and possible terrorist attack are now of urgent concern.

Lake Tahoe, a microcosm for the study of change, is losing its remarkable transparency at a rate of 0.3 meters annually as algal growth rates increase about 5% per year. A multidisciplinary approach has been essential at Tahoe to develop effective water management strategies for solving increasingly complex environmental problems that are applicable throughout the country. The Colorado River allocations to Nevada and California are constantly in the news, and Lake Mead, like Tahoe, serves as a significant source of water for both urban and agricultural interests. Long-term data collection, including paleolimnological studies of sedimentation and pollutants, has been key to better understanding and managing Tahoe, its surrounding watershed, and basin air quality.

Convincing the public at large that ecosystems must be protected remains a major obstacle. In the past, many policy decisions by regulatory agencies have been based on scanty short-term data that are sometimes lacking methodologically or subject to superficial interpretation. Such a case occurred during a short-term drought-related improvement in transparency at Tahoe. The efforts of environmental scientists must be directed toward meeting the growing domestic and global challenges for restoration and preservation of our increasingly limited water supplies. Strong science-based and well-integrated environmental research must be at the forefront in developing improved adaptive management practices for our western states and aquatic ecosystems worldwide.