September 10, 2009

Mokelumne River Beauty

This last week, the Sac-Sierra chapter of Trout Unlimited was extremely fortunate to have two of the state's finest conservationists from the Foothill Conservancy team, Katherine Evatt and Pete Bell, come and speak to the group about the state of the Mokelumne River and some of the proposed actions that threaten its ecological system, pristine beauty, and cultural heritage:

Currently the East Bay Municipal Utility District has proposed an expansion of the Pardee Reservoir dam by nearly 60 vertical feet to help supply more water to the increasing number of East Bay residents. The expansion would drown the entire Middle Bar section of the river including nearly a mile of river above the Hwy 49 bridge. Among the MANY THINGS that would soon be found underwater as a result of the expansion would be the historic Middle Bar bridge, recently restored at a cost of nearly $650,000, a brand new $750,000 BLM whitewater takeout/river access point, and most importantly (to a fisheries conservationist like myself) several river miles of important native fish spawning habitat. Not only would the local spawning habitat be inundated, but much of the spawning habitat upstream will be affected by the ecological changes resulting from the higher water levels.

Mokelumne River - Wild and Scenic from Mikey Wier on Vimeo.

One of many proposed actions to help prevent this expansion is to fight for Wild and Scenic designation for the 37 river miles below Salt Spring Reservoir. This designation would help to prevent the dam expansion as well as protect the river from threats like these in the future. If you are interested in endorsing this river designation please complete this easy online form provided by the Foothill Conservancy.

If you would like to further support the opposition to the proposed Pardee Reservoir dam expansion, please complete this pre-configured letter of opposition addressed to the East Bay Municipal Utility District (also provided by the Foothill Conservancy), and contact your local government or congressman regarding the same topics outlined in the EBMUD opposition letter.

Whether conservationist, fisherman, kayaker, rafter, or general outdoors person, the future of this watershed requires the support of individuals! Please help take action!

1 comment:

  1. Hey, JJ. Thanks for inviting us to speak to Sac-Sierra TU. We had a great time, and we're really impressed by all the good work your chapter does.

    See you on the Moke one day,
    Katherine Evatt

    Wild and Scenic Mokelumne -- A River for Everyone

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