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ºÙºÙÊÓƵ has received a $2.6 million grant to help it create a new research and education center dedicated to addressing environmental problems in the Tahoe Basin.

The will support multidisciplinary research on the basin ecosystem, enable greater collaboration among scientists, increase educational opportunities and provide information and awareness programs for the public.

Scientists, government officials and Lake Tahoe area residents working to preserve the lake's fabled clarity were delighted by the news of the grant from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

"If we are going to reverse the deterioration of this unique natural resource, researchers must help policy-makers and resource managers make the best science-based decisions," said ºÙºÙÊÓƵ scientist Charles Goldman, who has led for 42 years. "The new research laboratory and its educational programs will give us the facilities to strengthen the essential connection between scientific knowledge and public policy."

Goldman and the ºÙºÙÊÓƵ-based that he directs have monitored water quality and clarity and other issues at the lake since 1959. Last month the group announced that Tahoe had lost another two feet of clarity in 2000, taking the average clarity depth measurement to only 67.3 feet -- a 35-foot decline since 1968.

Nutrients and fine sediment particles entering the lake are responsible for the growth of algae and deteriorating water quality. Ongoing research focuses on determining the factors that need attention.

The Packard Foundation grant caps an initial $13 million campaign for private contributions to establish the research center at the lake, said the campaign's director, Susan Collins.

"The Packard Foundation grant brings us to our primary goal, and that is exciting news," Collins said. "We are now able to concentrate efforts on finding resources for purchasing the additional lab equipment and computer technology that are essential to support an expanded research agenda to address the environmental issues at Lake Tahoe."

The environmental research center is expected to contain nearly 15,000 square feet of laboratories, conference rooms and offices. ºÙºÙÊÓƵ currently uses a former fish hatchery near Tahoe City for on-site research and storage. As part of the project, this historic building will be renovated and serve as the laboratory's public education center, Collins said.