San Francisco water plan threatens Tuolumne River, would fuel growth; now is the time to protest

San Francisco is still trying to take more water out of the Tuolumne River in Yosemite National Park. The water would be delivered to customers outside of San Francisco, largely for landscaping and commercial growth in the southern East Bay and on the San Francisco Peninsula. Now is the time for us to act to stop this wasteful and unnecessary proposal.

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has released a Draft Program Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for its $4.3 billion water-system upgrade.

Preliminary review of the five-volume document reveals that San Francisco continues to pursue its proposal to increase diversions from the Tuolumne River to deliver more water to the Bay Area.

San Francisco diverts water from the Tuolumne River (via the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir) and sends it through a complex system of pipelines and tunnels to the Bay Area. The PUC operates the system and sells the water not only to individual customers in San Francisco but also to agencies in San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Alameda Counties.

Environmental impacts

The EIR identifies numerous significant impacts, including damage to fisheries and sensitive riparian habitat in the Alameda Creek and lower Tuolumne River watersheds. It fails, however, to properly identify and address the impacts of taking more water from the Tuolumne River, primarily due to the lack of an adequate baseline study.

Also reviewed is the effect of the additional water for fueling growth in the Bay Area. The PUC anticipates water demand in its service area to increase 14% by 2030 due to an assumed 17% growth in population and a 29% expansion of employment. The EIR discloses that the assumed employment growth is inflated and that the PUC's preferred plan would supply water for even more growth than is planned for in local general plans.

The city of Hayward, which has requested more new water from the PUC than any other agency, predicts a 45% increase in water demand by 2030, considerably greater than would be expected based on the city's assumed 16% growth in population and 30% increase in employment.

A sustainable alternative

The good news is that the EIR identifies a more sustainable alternative that would require the water agencies to pursue water conservation and recycling instead of taking more water from the Tuolumne River. More efficient water use and a more diverse mix of water supplies would also minimize the risks associated with a shrinking snowpack that is expected as a result of climate change.

WhatYouCanDo

Now is the time to tell San Francisco to protect the environment and use water more wisely. The public comment period is open until Mon., Oct. 1, and public hearings will be held in September.

Write to:

Paul Maltzer
Environmental Review Officer, WSIP PEIR
San Francisco Planning Department
c/o Sierra Club Bay Chapter
2530 San Pablo Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94702.

Urge San Francisco to protect the Tuolumne River for future generations by requiring water conservation, efficiency, and recycling rather than allowing additional diversions from the Tuolumne River. Urge the city to reassess its water-demand projections using more accurate employment projections. Insist on a sustainable water plan that will protect our watersheds in the Bay Area and the Sierra.

Speak up with this message at the public meetings, as well:

• Tue., Sep. 18, 6:30 pm, Fremont Main Library, Fukaya Room, 2400 Stevenson Blvd.;
• Thu., Sep. 20, 1:30 pm or later, San Francisco Planning Commission, City Hall, Room 400, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place.

The environmental review document can be downloaded from the San Francisco Planning Department

For more information and to take action, visit www.tuolumne.org

Heather Dempsey, Tuolumne River Trust