Chinook salmon in the Tuolumne.

MEDIA CENTER - Press

Plan would divert more water to SF; Critics say transfer would harm the Tuolumne River
Source: Modesto Bee
Michael Mooney
October 5, 2005

In times of severe drought, San Francisco could receive up to 25 million gallons of Tuolumne River water daily under a proposal with the Turlock and Modesto irrigation districts.

The plan, which appears in planning documents the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission is circulating, raised concerns among environmentalists and some public officials, though a spokesman for the commission said Tuesday that it's only in the idea stage.

Such a water transfer, environmentalists and others argue, could damage the Tuolumne, and the fishing, recreation and wildlife it supports, by reducing to a trickle the flow below La Grange Dam.

Irrigation district officials insisted that no such deal is in the works.

"It's very disconcerting (the commission) would even contemplate that," said Paul Warda, a member of the Modesto Irrigation District Board of Directors. "It comes as a surprise to me. They haven't talked to me, or anybody else, to my knowledge."

The plan would send up to 29,000 acre-feet a year to San Francisco. One acre-foot — 325,851 gallons — is enough to supply two families of five for a year.

Tony Winnicker, director of communications for the commission, said Tuesday that the agency initiated staff-level discussions with the MID and TID.

But Winnicker said no formal negotiations are under way and no deal is in the works.

"Our discussions have been extremely preliminary," he said. "We want to look at all responsible options."

Winnicker said the commission is contemplating transfer agreements with districts other than the MID and TID.

While the idea is only one detail in the commission's planned water system improvement project, members of the Tuolumne River Trust are using it to try to spur local interest in two public meetings — tonight in Sonora and Thursday at Downey High School in Modesto.

Those who attend the sessions — organized by the San Francisco Planning Department — will have an opportunity to ask questions and submit comments on the $4.3 billion project.

"Now is the time for San Francisco to hear from you," states a Tuolumne River Trust flier, "that its $4.3 billion water upgrade plan should not harm the Tuolumne River or Stanislaus County interests."

Critical to the plan is construction of a pipeline that could carry water from Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park to an estimated 2.4 million Bay Area customers.

The commission has said the pipeline, as well as tens of millions of dollars worth of systemwide upgrades, is necessary to ensure safe and efficient transport of water to the Bay Area in the event of an earthquake or other catastrophe.

Initially, the commission said the primary purpose of the new pipeline would be to provide back-up and redundancy should one of the agency's three other pipelines be damaged or shut for repairs.

The agency's latest planning documents, however, contemplate diverting 25 million more gallons daily from the Tuolumne by 2030 just to meet the growing demand for water. That's in addition to the 25 million gallons the agency wants in times of drought.

The commission takes up to 265 million gallons a day from the Tuolumne, but forecasts it will need 300 million by 2030. As part of its plan, it said it will gain about 10 million gallons a day from groundwater, recycling and conservation.

But the commission claims to have rights to take up to 400million gallons a day from the Tuolumne.

Heather Dempsey, Bay Area program director for the Tuolumne River Trust, said her group fears the commission plans to divert even more.

The new pipeline, Dempsey said, would enable San Francisco to take up to 70 percent more water from the Tuolumne than it does today.

Rather than spend billions on the new pipeline, Dempsey said the commission ought to concentrate on water recycling and conservation.

In Sonora, the meeting begins at 7 p.m. today at the Sonora Opera House, 250 S. Washington St. The Modesto meeting begins at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Downey High cafeteria, 1000 Coffee Road.