Summer 2023 nets Over 5 tons! 1 Ton with our ROV out of Lake Tahoe and 4 ton in Lithium Ion Electric Boat Batteries from Electric Boat Salvage.
650#’s Out of American River w/Scuba!

This video offers a time-lapse glimpse into the creation of Deep Emerald, a revolutionary camera ROV built in collaboration with Mission Robotics. Deep Emerald pushes the boundaries of underwater exploration, offering: Unmatched 4K Clarity: Capture even the tiniest invasive species with the system's groundbreaking 4K camera. Toxic Environment Navigation: Survey hazardous underwater environments with confidence, thanks to Deep Emerald's ability to handle challenging conditions. Real-Time Precision: Experience incredibly low latency for unmatched responsiveness and control during exploration. Witness the transformation from concept to completion, and see Deep Emerald come to life. #missionrobotics #rov #tahoe #tahoediving #scottfontecchio
Introducing Deep Emerald: The Ultimate Deep-Diving Camera ROV
Witness the power of this Mission Robotics ROV technology in action! This incredible ROV dives deep into Lake Tahoe, removing trash at depths of 300 meters. See how it works and join the fight for cleaner waterways! Pilot and Builder Scott Fontecchio making Lake Tahoe a better place all summer.@restoremylake @MissionRobotics @tahoefund7706 #tahoe #rov #diverobotix
Lake Tahoe's Underwater Hero: ROV Tackles Trash at Unprecedented Depths!
Teamed up with Kris from Lake Tahoe Diving & Environmental when no one else wanted to tackle such a heavy lift. It was the night before the wooden boat show and I received a call at 8 at night from the Coast Guard asking for help. We mobilized at 3am and it took about 1.5 hours to lift it and start towing. Our feet inside our wetsuit booties stung for a couple days. I think it gives off Sodium Hydroxide. The fire department sunk the boat trying to put it out, need something besides water to put out the battery fire apparently.
8 Ton Electric Boat Salvage and Tow
Our best year, removing over 5 Ton of toxic batteries, plastics, tires, garbage with our Mission Robotics ROV and a team of a few volunteers. Thank you to all of our sponsors.
Lake Tahoe's Restoring the Lake Depths Foundation 2023 Wrap Up
Restoring the Lake Depths Foundation is on a mission to clean up all freshwater lakes in Nevada and California. We built a BlueROV equipped with Mission Robotics Software and Internals. Our ROV has the maneuverability and cameras to effectively grab even the smallest objects at depths up to 500 meters and survey invasive species in 1/4 the time of divers. Here is a bit of our slideshow presentation with Lindsay in front of 100 Marine Robotics Experts who were extremely impressed with satire on the gentrification of crawdads, secondly the performance of our garbage-getting machine Blue Emerald. #missionrobotics
Marine Robotic Blue Tides Los Angeles
Some video we captured in Glenbrook Bay showing a lot of wood from the lumber projects. We were surprised how clean the lake bed in Glenbrook compared to other parts on the East Shore. We will continue cleaning in Glenbrook in 2023 and any donation to our non-profit help at restoremylake.org would be appreciated. Please like and subscribe to our channel. Spread the word about our channel to your Lake Tahoe friends!! #laketahoe #microplastic #tahoe #deepwatergarbageman #tahoeboat #restorethedepths #restoremylake
Remnants of the Glenbrook Pier in about 20-25 meters.
Restoring the Lake Depths Foundation removed a half ton of debris using a Blue Robotics ROV and a grappling hook. #microplastic #scottfontecchio #deepwatergarbageman #tahoe #laketahoe #edgewoodgolfcourse #restoremylake
Edgewood & Nevada Beach ROV Clean Up
Restore and Explore Lake Tahoe with our non-profit Foundation. Removing trash with Blue Robotics ROV2 equipped with a Newton Gripper and grappling hook. We removed nearly 1500#'s summer 2022 Lake Tahoe. #microplastic #plasticpollution #plasticfree #microplastics #plastic #zerowaste #ecofriendly #sustainability #dronewithcamera #cameradrone #videodroneswithhdcamera #rcdrone #pocketdrone #aquaculture #dronesforadults #minirov #vesc #underwaterinspection #underwaterdrones #underwaterrobot #submersible #underwaterrobotics #deeptrekker #chasing #underwaterphotography #ocean #remotelyoperatedvehicle #underwaterexploration #chasingm #pro #remotelyoperatedvehicles #missionrobotics #deepwatergarbageman #tahoeboat #scottfontecchio #tahoemarinesalvage
Lake Tahoe's deep water trash is no match for BlueRobotics ROV.
I did some close-ups of Algae (and crawdads of course!) on some rocks outside Cave Rock 1 mile off shore. Donate at www.restoremylake.org to keep us going.
Lake Tahoe Algae 20-25 Meters
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Some Items Recovered Summer 2023

OUR STORY: The creation of our foundation all started with the loss of a hat. One summer many years ago, a member of our family lost their large sun hat to the wind boating in Lake Tahoe, never to be seen again. We began wishing there was someway that we could retrieve it from the depths, however, no such luck. Most everyone who visits has a similar story to be told, be it losing a pair of sunglasses, bottles, bags, shoes, shirts, or toys….the list is endless. These accidents are a form of litter in our lake, and are detrimental to the clarity we all love, and cherish. Our goal is to locate all the litter lost in the depths, to dispose of it properly, thereby preserving our beloved fresh water. Now it is our time to help keep it as pristine as it once was. It is time to take action, and clean up mans mess, to restore our lake to it’s original beauty.

2023 Partial Haul Out of Lake Tahoe, 1 of 3 loads totaling over 1 ton.

How Are We Getting To The Bottom?

 RTLDF employs a BlueRov2 equipped with a gripper to remove trash and record discoveries along the way.
We are surveying the bottom of Lake Tahoe in an organized grid pattern, beginning at depths of 25 – 300 feet.
The Blue ROV2 can dive down removing microplastics and trash to 1,640 feet.
Learn how we plan to cover every square foot of Lake Tahoe’s Lake bed by returning often this site often for updates.

Micro plastics were found in Lake Tahoe in 2018. Typically, microplastics enter environments via wastewater, but this is not the case in Lake Tahoe, and litter seems to be the primary source. Microplastics present a unique and serious problem that should be addressed immediately.
Read more about the importance of removing microplastics from Lake Tahoe.
Read more about the effect of microplastics on Lake Tahoe Marine Life.
Read more about the effect on humans in Lake Tahoe.

Be Part of Our Mission

Our mission is to remove all trash from every navigable freshwater lake in Nevada and California, recording new discoveries along the way. We begin with Lake Tahoe. Restoring the Lake Depths Foundation is a society of passionate individuals committed to protecting our freshwater lakes. We are prepared to rid the waters of trash using remote underwater vehicles cleaning the lake beds of microplastics and debris from a depth of 25 feet offshore to the bottom of Lake Tahoe sharing deep water discoveries along the way with our supporters.