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MEDIA CENTER - Press Tuolumne
placed on 'threatened' list A national environmental group lists the Tuolumne River — which provides water to Modesto and other Stanislaus County communities, as well as the Bay Area — among the nation's 10 most threatened waterways. American Rivers, in a report issued today, points to a new pipeline that is part of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission's $4.3 billion plan to refurbish the Hetch Hetchy water system. American Rivers, which lobbies for river protections, says the pipeline could result in San Francisco taking up to 70 percent more water from the river. American Rivers says San Francisco withdraws 235 million gallons a day from the Tuolumne River. Other estimates range from 240 million to 260 million gallons. Tony Winnicker, director of communications for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, denied that the agency wants to increase that to as much as 400 million gallons daily. "We agree that the Tuolumne is an irreplaceable resource," Winnicker said. "That's why we've put $40 million in our plan to meet future demands through development of local groundwater, recycled water and conservation." Winnicker said the commission is projecting a 14 percent increase in demand for water over the next 25 years. That is not enough growth, he said, to warrant taking 400 million gallons daily from the river. Additionally, he said, the agency does not have storage space to accommodate that much water. Pipeline creating controversy American Rivers and other environmental groups, however, say the pipeline would bring more water to the Hetch Hetchy system's 2.4 million customers in San Francisco and elsewhere in the Bay Area. And that, the environmentalists say, would spell disaster for the river, its fisheries, and, ultimately, tens of thousands of Stanislaus County residents who rely upon the Tuolumne. "San Francisco's water plan includes costly and unnecessary expansion projects that will devastate the Tuolumne," said Jenna Olsen, director of the Tuolumne River Trust. "Taking advantage of the latest innovations in water use efficiency will ensure a cost-effective water plan for the Bay Area and a healthy Tuolumne River." Winnicker continued: "We share a lot of the same goals as those people. It's disappointing that this type of hyperbole comes out." He insisted that the pipeline is needed because the Hetch Hetchy system's three existing pipelines are made of aging concrete unlikely to withstand a major earthquake. "We need that fourth pipeline for operations, maintenance and redundancy purposes," he said, "not to increase capacity." Representatives of American Rivers and Tuolumne River Trust — and two other environmental groups, Clean Water Action and Environmental Defense — have scheduled news briefings today in Modesto, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. Modesto City Councilman Denny Jackman was expected to speak at the Modesto event, set for 11 a.m. at the American Legion Hall, 1021 S. Santa Cruz Ave. The upper reaches of the Tuolumne provide a variety of recreation activities, but the real importance of the river to Stanislaus County and its 450,000 residents is more basic. Water from the Tuolumne — collected in Modesto Reservoir and treated at a Modesto Irrigation District plant — supplements drinking supplies in Modesto and eight other communities that are part of the Modesto water system. The Tuolumne also supplies the lifeblood for valley agriculture — irrigating an estimated 300,000 acres. "As San Francisco removes water close to the source of the Tuolumne River," an American Rivers spokeswoman said in a statement, "increasing diversions would result in lower water levels along most of the river." Riparian habitat could suffer That statement, however, might be an oversimplification. Allison Boucher, project manager for Friends of the Tuolumne, said a federal agreement negotiated in the mid-1990s set minimum flow levels. Those levels vary with the season and snowpack in the Sierra, where the river originates. Boucher said riparian habitat along the Tuolumne is likely to suffer first if San Francisco increases its withdrawal from Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. "We'd probably lose the spring flood releases (from Don Pedro Reservoir) like we're getting this year," Boucher said. "Those releases send water out into the flood plain and help keep the riparian habitat healthy." Boucher said fisheries — trout and salmon — are likely to suffer long term. "The flows in the Tuolumne already are too low," she said. "With San Francisco putting a bigger straw into (Hetch Hetchy), it will be harder to convince (state and federal agencies) to increase flows into the river." Whether San Francisco is entitled to more is another issue. San Francisco officials contend the city is entitled. They say that the Raker Act, passed by Congress early in the the 20th century, gives San Francisco the legal right to take as much water as it needs. Attorney Stuart Somach, who represents the Turlock Irrigation District, said he is not so sure. Who has access to the water? Since the city has not acted to take more water in the nearly 100 years that the Raker Act has been law, Somach said, San Francisco would have to demonstrate why it suddenly needs more. "I think they will have a difficult time actually doing that," Somach said. "The question is whether their water rights can continue to grow after a hundred years." Assuming San Francisco was able to convince a court that the city was entitled to more water, Somach said a legal argument could be made that such a diversion could not be made until the water flows out of the Tuolumne and into the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Additionally, Somach said, San Francisco is bound to protect the fisheries and the river: "They cannot ignore environmental concerns." Winnicker said environmental review of the proposed pipeline would begin this summer, adding that the pipe's capacity has not been determined. |
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