Lake Tahoe

Dying shrimp helping clear up Lake Tahoe water

This is the lake's highest visibility since 1988

NBC Universal, Inc.

Lake Tahoe's water is clearer than it's been in decades, and scientists with UC Davis say it's because of shrimp dying off.

Invasive shrimp were first introduced into the lake to feed trout, but instead, they were feeding off the zooplankton in the water.

Plankton help keep the lake clean by eating algae and other small particles and now, scientists are starting to see the shrimp die off, allowing the plankton population to grow.

They say this is the lake's highest visibility since 1988.

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