The Upper Tuolumne River Ecosystem Program: Initial report on river ecosystem conditions and recommended monitoring actions available

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Initial report on river ecosystem conditions and recommended monitoring actions available

In April 2007, SFPUC consultants McBain & Trush produced an initial report that provides a description of the Upper Tuolumne River ecosystem and recommends monitoring actions needed to improve understanding of the effects of the Hetch Hetchy Project on river and riparian ecosystem function.

Description of River Ecosystem and Recommended Monitoring Actions (PDF | 28MB)

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.