Tahoe, Lake

Tahoe, Lake tä´hō, tā´– [key], 193 sq mi (500 sq km), on the Calif.-Nev. line. It occupies a basin in the Sierra Nevada and is drained by the Truckee River. Lying 6,228 ft (1,898 m) above sea level, its depth (1,645 ft/501 m) prevents it from freezing. Long known for its clearness, the lake, explored in 1844 by John Frémont , had grown less so by the late 1990s, when government officials began efforts to restore it. Lake Tahoe is a major vacation spot, with gambling resorts along the Nevada shoreline.

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