The Upper Tuolumne River Ecosystem Program: Lyell Glacier story in the Sacramento Bee

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Lyell Glacier story in the Sacramento Bee

Tom Knudson writes about a recent Yosemite Association hike to the Lyell Glacier in the Upper Tuolumne River watershed and the return of 81-year-old Hal Klieforth to the glacier after first visiting it 58 years ago. Read the story and view video and maps at the Sacramento Bee.

About the Program

The Tuolumne River is located on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada in central California. With headwaters in Yosemite National Park, the Tuolumne flows westward 150 miles to its confluence with the San Joaquin River in California's Central Valley.

The Upper Tuolumne River Ecosystem Program (UTREP) is a collaborative, long-term, science-based river management program led by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC).

The UTREP monitors river ecosystem conditions and develops recommendations for river management downstream of Hetch Hetchy Project facilities to support broad river ecosystem values, while maintaining water supply reliability for 2.6 million San Francisco Bay Area customers and providing clean hydropower for San Francisco municipal facilities.

Scientific collaborators include Yosemite National Park, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Stanislaus National Forest, consultants, researchers, and academics.

STATUS: UTREP efforts are currently focused on technical review and revision of the O'Shaughnessy Dam Instream Flow Management Plan and routine annual monitoring.