The Newspaper of the San Francisco Bay Chapter
January - February 2008
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Diverse groups oppose water grab from Tuolumne River
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) has received critical public comments on its proposal to divert an additional 25 million gallons of water per day from the Tuolumne River as part of its Water System Improvement Program (WSIP).
Although the Tuolumne's natural flow is impeded by two major dams, and more than half is diverted for urban and agricultural uses, it continues to support a remarkable and diverse biological community, including chinook salmon and steelhead trout. As the largest tributary of the San Joaquin River, it provides freshwater flows vital to the health of the Bay and Delta.
Given the vast potential to meet future water needs through conservation and recycling, additional diversion from the Tuolumne and harm to its ecosystem are totally unnecessary.
In commenting on the Draft Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) for the WSIP, the California Department of Fish and Game stated: "we believe that if implemented as proposed, the WSIP would only exacerbate the current decline of anadromous fisheries in the Tuolumne River. Consequently, we respectfully request that the SFPUC use alternative water sources other than the Tuolumne River system or implement water conservation measures to meet drought year demands and 2030 purchase requests."
In a resolution passed in June, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors urged the SFPUC "to explore and develop water supply options that will not divert more water from the Tuolumne River."
Assemblymembers Ira Ruskin (D-Los Altos) and Sally Lieber (D-San Jose) reiterated this sentiment in a letter to the SFPUC stating, "The draft EIR has provoked concerns about additional diversion of water from the Tuolumne River. We urge you to undertake more comprehensive studies of the alternatives that minimize new diversions... Implementation of more water conservation, efficiency, and recycling is the best way to lessen impacts on the Tuolumne River while promoting a sustainable water plan for the Bay Area."
Acknowledging that the SFPUC's "preferred alternative" for the WSIP faces an uphill battle, wholesale customers in San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Alameda Counties are now supporting an alternative that would increase water conservation (which is good) and attempt to offset increased water diversion by paying farmers in the Central Valley to conserve water from the Don Pedro Reservoir. Such water transfers are problematic, however.
- The 30-mile stretch of the Tuolumne River between the Hetch Hetchy and Don Pedro Reservoirs would still be reduced by at least 15 million gallons of water per day.
- The Modesto and Turlock Irrigation Districts, which would have to agree to the transfers, do not appear interested. In commenting on the DPEIR, they stated: "the draft PEIR envisions the transfer of 27,000 AF (acre feet) of water from the Districts to the CCSF (City and County of San Francisco). The Districts do not believe there is sufficient water within the watershed under dry conditions to support the transfers as described in the Draft PEIR. It is inappropriate, therefore, to include the proposed transfer as a part of the CCSF's water supply plan."
In September the Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors took an even stronger position: that it "unequivocally opposes the SFPUC's proposed diversion of an additional 25 million gallons of water a day from the Tuolumne River. The County will seek and exercise the necessary legal remedies to see that no further water diversions occur from the Tuolumne River."
Even some agencies that stand to gain from the increased diversion are concerned that this controversial proposal could delay the much-needed seismic upgrades to the Hetch Hetchy water system. The city of Hayward, which has projected the greatest increase in water demand, stated: "We urge the SFPUC not to delay the certification of the PEIR and implementation of critical reliability projects due to issues related to future demand."
This comment hits the nail right on the head. We should all be working together to protect our water supply from potential disruptions. We cannot afford to allow the seismic upgrades to get sidetracked by an ill-conceived water grab.
WhatYouCanDo
To work with the Sierra Club on protecting the Tuolumne River, contact or call (510) 848-0800, ext. 316
The Tuolumne River Trust maintains an e-mail list for upda tes and action items. To be added, just e-mail Peter -at- Tuolumne.org
© 2008 San Francisco Sierra Club Yodeler