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No sea serpents, mobsters but Tahoe trash divers strike gold

Tahoe Trash Divers
Posted at 8:42 AM, May 15, 2022
and last updated 2022-05-15 11:42:14-04

STATELINE, Nev. (AP) — Scuba divers at Lake Tahoe are sorting through their haul after an unprecedented, yearlong effort to remove litter from the alpine lake's entire 72 miles of shoreline atop the Sierra Nevada.

They found no trace of a mythical sea monster and no sign of mobsters in concrete shoes or long-lost treasure chests. But their hope is the 25,000 pounds of junk they gathered will prove much more valuable.

Tahoe Trash Divers
This photo provided by Clean Up The Lake shows an example of GPS located heavy lift trash items in the fall of 2021, in Lake Tahoe, Nev. (Clean Up The Lake via AP)

Since last May, they've meticulously sorted and logged the types and GPS locations of the waste.

It’s part of a first-of-its-kind effort to learn more about the potential harm caused by plastics and other pollutants in the waters on the California-Nevada line.

Tahoe Trash Divers
Debris and garbage collected during the year-long Lake Tahoe cleanup is displayed in Stateline, Nev., Tuesday, May 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Haven Daley)
Tahoe Trash Divers
Debris and garbage collected during the year-long Lake Tahoe cleanup is displayed in Stateline, Nev., Tuesday, May 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Haven Daley)