Calaveras Reservoir expansion would flood some of East Bay's wildest lands

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (PUC) is planning a four-fold increase in the volume of the Calaveras Reservoir. Located in Santa Clara and Alameda Counties, the reservoir stores water for San Francisco, the Peninsula, and portions of the South Bay. The expansion is designed to allow the PUC to increase its taking of water from the Tuolumne River running through Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite.

Ironically, the Calaveras Reservoir is located near a canyon in Sunol Regional Wilderness so beautiful that is known as Little Yosemite. In fact, the Calaveras Reservoir is situated within 40,000 acres of contiguous wildlands that includes the Sunol/Ohlone Regional Wilderness, a popular backpacking destination. Under the expansion plan 3,500 additional acres of the wilderness area is to be flooded.

Although Little Yosemite would not be affected, this massive expansion would affect the Sunol Wilderness, where Little Yosemite is located. For instance, it would flood feeding grounds for falcons and hawks, and it would harm the fish in Alameda Creek, which retains steelhead and native salmon. The flooding would also destroy habitat of federally listed threatened species, including the California red-legged frog and the Alameda whipsnake.

A collection of environmental groups called Bay Area Water Stewards is fighting this destructive plan. We are promoting a just and sustainable water system that protects and restores the watersheds and wildlife habitats, and that uses conservation and recycling as a new source of water.

John Rizzo, chair, Sierra Club Bay Chapter

What You Can Do

Speak up at the PUC hearing at 1:30 pm on Tue., March 8, in San Francisco City Hall, Room 400. Also, write to:

Susan Leal, General Manager, and Commissioners
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
1155 Market St., Fourth Floor
San Francisco, CA 94103
or

Urge San Francisco to protect the Tuolumne River and to pursue aggressive measures to use water more efficiently. Insist that no more water be taken from Yosemite's Tuolumne River. Tell the PUC to fix the Calaveras Dam, not expand it. For more information visit www.tuolumne.org