By William Martin
Photo credit: Tuolumne River by "Elaine with Grey Cats" (CC BY-SA 2.0).
Most San Franciscans know that their drinking water, among the best in the world, comes from Hetch Hetchy in the Sierras. Hetch Hetchy dams the Tuolumne River which originates in Yosemite National Park.
However, many San Franciscans probably have no idea that the state has determined that more water is needed in the Tuolumne to help heal severe harm done to the salmon population and the health of the San Francisco Bay and Delta. Instead of doing its part, the City, at the urging of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission staff, has sued the state to block these stronger protections.
Instead of being a river of pure snowmelt, full of salmon and trout, downstream of the dams the Tuolumne is a trickle of warm water inhospitable to salmon and other native wildlife.
Further downstream, where the Tuolumne water once fed the Delta and Bay, stagnant water now turns to cesspools of toxic blue-green algae. Getting more Sierra river water flowing back through the Delta and Bay is the solution identified by state environmental officials, but San Francisco, under the direction of SFPUC staff, is refusing to do its part. This flies in the face of San Franciscans’ demonstrated prioritization of the environment.
Once-abundant salmon runs that helped feed the Bay Area and beyond are weak and sick. As a result, the commercial fishing industry that built Fishermen’s Wharf is almost gone, costing us local, sustainable jobs. The answer is for the City of San Francisco to lead the way in restoring the river and to do its part to help restore the Delta and Bay.
We know that there’s enough water to supply the City while protecting the environment because San Franciscan cut a third of their water use during the last drought. Instead of reflecting City residents’ experience and values, the SFPUC now argues that conserving won’t work, citing faulty studies to argue for the keeping of the status quo.
Recently, the National Marine Fisheries Service commissioned a group of independent scientists to examine studies the SFPUC staff paid for to prop up its no-compromise position. The independent scientists found the studies had little to no scientific validity.
The SFPUC is woefully behind other major California communities including Los Angeles, San Diego and Orange County in using water wisely. Water recycling, and other 21st-century water tools, can reduce our dependence on the rivers supplying the Bay-Delta, particularly in dry years. They can also reduce the risk to our water supply from climate change. Instead of working with local groups to adopt such tools, the SFPUC is teaming up with anti-environmental San Joaquin Valley water districts.
Recently the General Manager of the SFPUC resigned after he was indicted on corruption charges. This indictment and the SFPUC staff’s anti-environmental positions highlight the need for new leadership at the agency.
Mayor Breed didn’t create this problem. She just had the bad luck of inheriting it. Mayor Breed and the SFPUC Commission will now appoint a new General Manager, and it’s crucial that they bring in a highly qualified, environmentally responsible outsider. Many highly qualified candidates would jump at the chance of guiding San Francisco back to being a progressive, high tech, environmental leader.
What you can do:
San Francisco residents, we urge you to take action by asking Mayor Breed to hire a new General Manager of the SFPUC who reflects San Francisco’s values and leadership in protecting the environment.