EBMUD is attempting to get approval to raise the height of Pardee dam. If they succeed, miles of the Mokelumne river will disappear under the raised dam. In my humble opinion, the potential recreational opportunities provided by the expanded dam will not even come close to the destroyed recreational opportunities buried under feet of water.
I understand the argument that several years of drought have depleted water reserves for Bay Area and Southern CA water users, but I propose that BEFORE we spend billions increasing water storage and transportation, that we spend a few million educating people on water conservation. I know that folks “think” they are conserving, but the majority do nothing. Most waste considerably more than they should. We need education programs, subsidies or credits for installing water saving devices, and in certain communities, restrictions and enforcement.
For more information, please read Mikey Wier’s blogs on this topic here and here. You can also find more information on the Foothill Conservancy’s website as well as over at Friends of the River.
Very short sited. Once altered these wild places are changed forever.
I fished the the area of the Mokelumme below the dam/off limits/ with my father who used to be an EBAYMUD employee at the dam. It was one of the best days of fishing I ever had.
I’ve scheduled a post about this for Thursday. Can I assume CalTrout is involved in the Wild & Scenic River designation?
I fished the Mokelumne when I lived in the Bay Area, and it’s pretty place.
Yes, Cal Trout is in on it. So is Trout Unlimited, Friends of the River, Oars Rafting, the Sierra Club, Sierra Nevada Alliance and others. The movement to get the designation was started by the foothills conservancy years ago. This latest proposal to flood middle bar just goes to show why we need to get that designation now. Please show your support. There’s a beautiful and un replaceable stretch of river at stake.
Mikey
The 1965 California Fish and Wild Life Plan reported adult runs of 1150 king salmon and 550 steelhead for the Mokleumne. 1963 Camanche Dam blocked the runs 12 miles downstream from Pardee. Minor spawning riffles exit between Camanche and Lokeford, for 8 miles, and for supposed mitigation EDMUD built an artificial spawning channel small hatchery. A few miles above tidewater Woodbridge dam is a major water diversion. It is fish screened but these are never 100 percent. The Dam does have a fishway but it only works when flows are sufficient.
Rainfall runoff from her Penn Mine area causes serious copper and zinc pollution that kills fish. There are presently no adequate ways to police the many water diversions that take downstream water released for fishlife.
Marty Seldon
NCCFFF