For over 30 years, our architect firm has been designing lakefront and mountain homes that are situated with the Lake Tahoe Basin. And every year, our clients enquire about “BMP’s” which are defined as “Best Management Practices,” which are required as part of the home building (and selling) process.
With the building season around the corner, we thought it would be appropriate to dedicate this news article to this popular question.
BMP’s were created as part of the region’s quest to protect the Lake Tahoe Watershed that feeds into Lake Tahoe. As stated on the Tahoe Regional Planning Agencies’ (TRPA) website, here is the simple definition:
Best Management Practices, also known as BMPs, capture and infiltrate stormwater and stabilize soil to prevent erosion. This simulates pre-development conditions when precipitation would soak into the ground and be filtered by the soil, rather than running over impervious surfaces (like roofs and roads), collecting pollutants such as sediment and nutrients as it travels, and ultimately ending up in Lake Tahoe. Research proves that implementing BMPs on existing development is a critical step toward improving Lake Tahoe’s water quality and clarity.
The ideal end result is to ensure future generations continue to enjoy the pristine water within Lake Tahoe.
Whether our team at Borelli Architecture is designing homes, or commercial buildings, within the Tahoe basin, we will work with our partners to ensure the project includes the installation of BMP’s according to the TRPA requirements. Once the property has been reviewed and approved by a team member of the TRPA, the property owner will receive a BMP Certificate. At that point, it’s the owner’s responsibility to continue to maintain the land that surrounds their home or commercial establishment.
Examples of BMP’s for Your Home
There are some good resources available that have been written and published by the TRPA. Within this link, you will find an easy-to-read document that details some of the more common practices to prevent sediment and unwanted nutrients from entering our watershed.
It includes:
- Paving dirt driveways
- Installing drain rock under gutters and roof lines
- Building retaining walls on steeper slopes
- Vegetating and mulching open soil
For information, visit www.tahoebmp.org or call the BMP hotline at (775) 589-5202.
Or, feel free to contact our team. As part of our personal design services at Lake Tahoe, Borelli Architecture also offers the following assistance:
- Custom Interior Design
- Site Planning
- Space Planning
- Permit Processing Assistance
- TRPA Feasibility Studies
- Contractor Selection and Bidding Assistance
- Construction Administration Services
Finally, if you are thinking about building a home within the Lake Tahoe basin, now is the time to get started. Connect with us now for your complimentary consultation.
James P. Borelli
Founder/Principal
Borelli Architecture
Lake Tahoe / Truckee
jim@borelliarchitecture.com
775.831.3060