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- Lake Tahoe
- Pyramid Lake
Winter Operations Dry Suit Swim at Lake Tahoe
Sierra Division 11 Auxiliarists patrol on Lake Tahoe and Pyramid Lake all year, including the depths of winter. In fact, winter is one of our busiest times since the best fishing at Pyramid Lake occurs then.
Since water temperatures are in the upper 30's to low 40's Coast Guard Auxiliarists are required to wear special exposure suits to protect them from the cold air and the cold water. In preparation for these safety patrols, Sierra Division 11 members swim in their dry suits at Lake Tahoe.
Division 11 Operations Officer, Jack Leth, narrates this video showing the swim at Lake Tahoe on November 14th, 2009.
Find A Flotilla
There are four flotillas in Sierra Division 11. To go to the web site of the flotilla nearest you, click on the map below.
Nevada Day Parade 2009
Qualification of Coast Guard Coxswain Reid Roach
Trans Tahoe Swim Video
Pyramid Lake Winter Operations Video
North American Safe Boating Campaign 2009
North Lake Tahoe Snowfest, February 2009
Winter Training at Lake Tahoe
Sierra Division Sends Crews to San Francisco Fleet Week
Division 11 Requalification at Lake Tahoe
Dedication of Reno Flotilla "The Melroy" Facility at Station Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a large alpine lake. It is 22 miles long and 12 miles wide. At it's deepest point, near Crystal Bay, it is almost 1700 feet deep making Lake Tahoe the third deepest lake in North America. Lake Tahoe is home to Station Tahoe, the Coast Guard's station at Lake Forest on the north shore of Tahoe. This station is manned 24 hours a day , 365 days a year by Coast Guard personnel. Tahoe is an Indian name meaning "Big Water" which Lake Tahoe certainly is. Lake Tahoe is estimated to contain almost 40 trillion gallons of water. Lake Tahoe never freezes in the winter since at a depth of more than 500 feet the lake is an almost constant 39 degrees F. Mark Twain once commented that Lake Tahoe is "surely the fairest picture the whole earth affords". For those of us in Division 11 who live near Lake Tahoe, we couldn't agree more. This photo was taken near Sand Harbor, just next to Incline Village, Nevada.
Pyramid Lake, Nevada
Pyramid Lake, unlike Lake Tahoe, is a high desert lake. It is located on the Paiute Indian Reservation which is 33 miles northeast of Reno. Pyramid Lake is shallower, warmer and much more alkaline than Lake Tahoe. It is home to the Lahontan Cutthroat Trout. This trout can reach up to 40 pounds in size. Pyramid Lake is named after a pyramidal shaped tufa (a porous rock formed from geothermal spring activity) rock located in the eastern part of the lake. The only outlet of Lake Tahoe is the Truckee River. The Truckee winds it's way down through the Sierras and Reno eventually finding it's terminus in Pyramid Lake. Pyramid Lake is a remnant of the ancient Lahontan Lake which used to cover a large part of Northern Nevada. This picture was taken near the "Needles" at the north end of Pyramid Lake.
Division 11 Commander
Dave Law
Welcome to the Division 11 web site. Division 11 is part of Coast Guard District 11 North, headquartered in Alameda, California. The members of our four flotillas participate in Northern Nevada Boating activities. The Coast Guard Reserve Act of 1939 was passed by Congress and created what is now known as the Coast Guard Auxiliary. During World War II, the Auxiliary was integral in performing Port Security, a mission that has taken on greater significance since the Auxiliary now works closely with the Coast Guard in maintaining security of our country.
The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is best known for Boating Education and Vessel Safety Checks. These are two of the four "Cornerstones" of the Auxiliary. The third cornerstone of the Auxiliary is Operations. This is one area that Division 11 emphasizes and we participate in Safety Patrols, regatta patrols, checking aids to navigation, and search and rescue. The fourth Cornerstone of the Auxiliary and its 29,000 members is Fellowship. The volunteers of the Auxiliary strive to "Make a Difference" and we take great pride in our work. We not only teach the public but also each other. Members of the Auxiliary become good friends who share a common goal, the enjoyment of boating in the outdoors of Northern Nevada and California. If you have an interest in joining us, please contact the Flotilla nearest you.
Other Types of Navigational Buoys
Our previous page on navigational buoys focused on so called "lateral" buoys so named because they indicate safe water in a channel. Other types of navigational buoys exist such as this regulatory buoy full story...
