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MEDIA CENTER - Press Two
California rivers make group's most-threatened list San Francisco's utilities commission threw cold water Wednesday on a conservation group's report that a plan to siphon more water from the Hetch Hetchy reservoir is endangering the Tuolumne River. The Washington, D.C.-based American Rivers group listed the Tuolumne as one of the nation's 10 most threatened rivers out of concern that the proposed pipeline could increase the capacity for river water diversion to the San Francisco Bay Area by 70 percent. But San Francisco Public Utilities Commission officials say there's no plan to pull more water from the river. The planned conduit will be used only to ease pressure on the three existing pipelines, spokesman Tony Winnicker said. The Santa Clara River in Los Angeles County also made the list, because of pressures from urban development. The group said the most-threatened river was the Susquehanna, which runs through New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. San Francisco currently withdraws an average of 220 million gallons of water from the Tuolumne daily, making it one of the main sources of drinking water for the Bay Area. Winnicker said the three existing pipelines are old and vulnerable, and a fourth is needed to carry the same amount of water while the aging pipes are taken off-line for seismic upgrades. "There's no plan, no proposal, no comment on the public record" that the city intends to divert more water from the Tuolumne," Winnicker said, calling the group's claims "inflammatory." "We wouldn't even have use for all that water," he said. But Jenna Olsen, executive director of Tuolumne River Trust, said her environmental group also is concerned. "If it's there, it'll be used," she said, adding that the Tuolumne's salmon run — the largest in the San Joaquin Valley — could be threatened if more water is diverted. Threatened steelhead trout and bald eagles also rely on the stretch of the Tuolumne that cascades down the eastern tip of Yosemite National Park, through the foothills, and across the Central Valley. Bay Area residents who drink Tuolumne water should also be concerned about the project's cost and environmental impact, San Francisco Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi said. "Rate payers should not pay for an unnecessary, expensive projects that will hurt the Tuolumne," Mirkarimi said. Winnicker said the project was essential to guaranteeing water service to San Francisco in case of disruptions from a major earthquake, and that an extensive environmental review is planned. American Rivers said the Santa Clara River, which runs from the San Gabriel Mountains to the Ventura County coast, is threatened by development of condominiums, shopping centers and other urban projects along its banks, including a planned 21,000-home project for the Newhall Ranch in northern Los Angeles County. "Time may be running out for Southern California's last natural river," said Rebecca R. Wodder, president of American Rivers. Newhall Land Co. said its development is environmentally conscious and includes a buffer zone along the riverbank. "We have worked very hard to make sure the river is preserved," spokeswoman Marlee Lauffer said to the Los Angeles Times. "Our plan is very sensitive to the river corridor." Ron Bottorff, chairman of Friends of the Santa Clara River, said the project would sit on about 100 acres of flood plain and pave over or otherwise degrade dozens of tributary streams. Southern California already has lost 97 percent of its original river woodlands and 90 percent of its wetlands, he added. The annual list of rivers is based on nominations from thousands of local environmental groups and local governments about rivers that are "facing the most uncertain futures rather than those suffering from the worst chronic problems," American Rivers said. The full list for 2005 is: 1. Susquehanna River, which runs through New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland. 2. McCrystal Creek in New Mexico. 3. Fraser River in Colorado. 4. Skykomish River in Washington. 5. Roan Creek in Tennessee. 6. Santee River in South Carolina. 7. Little Miami River in Ohio. 8. Tuolumne River in California. 9. Price River in Utah. 10. Santa Clara River in California. ___ On the Net: American Rivers: |
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