The Upper Tuolumne River Ecosystem Program: Clavey confluence timelapse

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Clavey confluence timelapse

This past spring, UC Davis researchers installed time lapse cameras, water stage recorders, and temperature monitoring equipment in both the mainstem Tuolumne River (regulated by Hetch Hetchy Project facilities - particularly Holm Powerhouse) and the Clavey River (an unregulated tributary to the Tuolumne) near their confluence. Video gurus at UC Davis then layered the time lapse video, stage, and temperature data of both rivers, providing a visual comparison of temperature and hydrology dynamics in the regulated and unregulated streams. This work is part of a larger UC Davis effort to learn more about how tributaries and stream confluences affect hydrology and geomorphology. Watch the video in HD on Vimeo for best effect, and to learn more about how the video and data were compiled.

Time Lapse Hydrography - Tuolumne and Clavey Rivers 2012 with Temperatures from Center for Watershed Sciences on Vimeo.

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.