The Upper Tuolumne River Ecosystem Program: February 2011

Friday, February 4, 2011

Wapama Falls bridge repair

On October 3-4, 2010 the Hetch Hetchy area experienced a severe electrical storm. During one 24-hour period, the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir rose approximately 25 feet and the foot bridge near Wapama Falls was destroyed due to falling rock and flood flows from Falls Creek. Yosemite National Park's current plan is to repair and open the bridges by April 2011 in time for early spring backpackers and hikers.

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.