TRT Makes Steady Progress Encouraging SFPUC's Environmental Stewardship of Tuolumne River

TRT is making steady progress on our campaign to encourage the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) to embrace the environmental stewardship of the Tuolumne River as a top priority.

For years, TRT has made the case that the SFPUC has plenty of water, and can afford to leave more in the Tuolumne to revive the ecosystem. A recent article in the Chronicle supports our case.

During the December/January storms, the SFPUC captured enough water to last more than two years, bringing their total storage up to six years-worth. With the snowpack already well above average for the year, all of the SFPUC’s reservoirs will fill and spill. The water people conserved over the past three years will be released into the river in a single year, but it was most needed during the prior dry years. Meanwhile, recent salmon counts have been in the hundreds, whereas they used to be in the tens of thousands.

On Tuesday, the SF Board of Supervisors approved a resolution encouraging the SFPUC to address the excessive nutrient load entering the Bay through wastewater discharges. Nitrogen and phosphorous fueled last summer’s record-setting toxic algae bloom that caused a massive fish kill. A big part of the solution is wastewater recycling, which would reduce nutrient discharges while providing an alternative water supply. TRT appreciates the great leadership of SF Baykeeper on this issue. You can read more about the Board of Supervisors resolution in the Examiner here.

TRT recently won a Public Records Act case against the SFPUC. We had requested documents explaining how they calculated astronomical water rationing figures. As has become the norm, they were attempting to inflate the potential impacts of the Bay Delta Water Quality Control Plan. Our request was denied based on “attorney-client communications." The Sunshine Ordinance Task Force didn’t buy that reasoning, and voted unanimously to find the SFPUC in violation of the City’s Sunshine Ordinance, and directed them to produce the information we requested.

But we cannot do this alone - we need the support and engagement of our community to achieve our goals. If you are passionate about environmental stewardship and would like to get involved in our campaign, please email peter@tuolumne.org. We appreciate any help we can get, and your contribution could make a real difference.

If you would like to share your thoughts with the SFPUC Commissioners, you can send an email to commission@sfwater.org.