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Tuolumne River Trust asks for support in final effort to stop Tuolumne River Diversion

By Peter Drekmeier
October 23, 2008 -- In just one week. the SFPUC will make its final decision on the Water System Improvement Program (WSIP). Will they choose a program that would divert up to 25 million more gallons of water per day from the Tuolumne River, or will they cap diversions at current levels and encourage water conservation and recycling to meet future demand?

1) Attend one or both of the public hearings on Thursday, October 30. The SF Planning Commission will meet at 1:30pm in Room 400 at City Hall to discuss, and possibly certify, the Final Program Environmental Impact Report (FPEIR). At 5pm (please note new time), the SFPUC will meet in Room 263 at City Hall to choose a WSIP option. We're encouraging them to adopt the Phased WSIP, which would come close to capping diversions until at least 2018, with an amendment to remove a clause that would allow the diversion of another 2 million gallons of water per day (enough to fill 80 swimming pools every day). If you can only attend one hearing, the 5pm SFPUC meeting is probably more important.

SF City Hall is located at 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco. For directions, visit http://www.sfgov.org/site/cityhall_index.asp?id=5244

2) Write a letter to the SFPUC encouraging them to adopt the Phased WSIP with an amendment to remove the clause that would allow the diversion of 2 million more gallons per day from the Tuolumne. The address is: Ann Moller Caen, President; SFPUC; 1145 Market Street; San Francisco, CA 94103. Emails can be sent to MHoush@sfwater.org. Talking points are available at http://www.tuolumne.org/content/fmd/files/Write%20a%20Letter%20to%20the%20SFPUC.pdf

If you do not have time to write your own letter, please send a form letter by visiting http://www.tuolumne.org/content/staticpages/index.php/letter_commissioners

3) Turn your comments into a letter to the editor. For newspaper contact information, please visit http://www.tuolumne.org/content/fmd/files/2008%2008%20Write%20a%20letter%20to%20the%20editor.pdf

4) Make a donation to the Tuolumne River Trust to help us continue our work. You can do so online at https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?id=1706 or you can send a check to: Tuolumne River Trust; 111 New Montgomery, #205; San Francisco, CA 94105.

5) Forward this message to your friends.

Other Resources

A great article about the issue - http://www.tuolumne.org/blog/?p=29

FPEIR - http://www.sfgov.org/site/planning_index.asp?id=80530

TRT Canoe Trips - http://www.tuolumne.org/content/article.php/20081009085452220

Thank you for all your support! Please take action now to help protect the "wild and scenic" Tuolumne River.

-Peter

P.S. There will be another opportunity to help the Tuolumne in November. The Trust is partnering with the San Francisco Green Festival to educate people in the Bay Area about the source of their tap water. A 3-day "Party with a Purpose," the Green Festival draws some 40,000 people every year. It is a "bottled water-free" event, and this year Tuloumne River Trust volunteers will staff the tap-water station - as we fill up water bottles, we'll encourage them to help protect the Tuolumne. Volunteers will get a free pass to the entire 3 day festival; see http://www.greenfestivals.org/san-francisco-2008/ for program and more information.