Mokelumne River (CA) - Protection for the Future - Protection for the Now
On October 13, 2009 East Bay Municipal Utility District's (EMUD) Board Members voted to approve their Waste Supply Management
Program (WSMP) 2040.
Proposals to enlarge Pardee Reservoir, included in this plan, remain a
threat to our whitewater interests on the Molkelumne River. American Whitewater
encourages members to support National Wild & Scenic River designation as the best option to
permanently fend off agencies, like EBMUD, who threaten to flood the last free flowing
sections of the Mokelumne. But keep in mind, while designation
as a National Wild & Scenic River will provide the needed protection there is no guarantee
that legislation will be enacted this year. In other words, it remains a work in progress for the
future of the Mokelumne River.
In the meantime, if the $11 billion California water bond passes next year, the Pardee enlargement could be
among the dams to receive funding. Thus American Whitewater's partner
organizations - Foothill Conservancy, Friends of the River and California Sportfishing
Protection Alliance - made the decision to act now. They have challenged EBMUD and their Board of Directors in the
Superior Court of the State of California. Following EBMUD's Board of Directors approval of the
WSMP 2040, our partner
organizations filed suit citing:
- Violation of CEQA; Failure to Identify Significant Impacts of Project
- Violation of CEQA; Failure to Prepare and Certify an Informationally Adequate EIR
- Failure to Respond Adequately to Comments
- Failure to Support Findings with Substantial Evidence
American Whitewater has decided to use funding from the Larry Berg California River Stewardship Fund to join our partner organizations in this challenge of EBMUD's WSMP 2040. If you would like to protect our whitewater interests on the Mokelumne River in the future or the now, please go to the Foothill Conservancy webpage to add your name to the Wild and Scenic River support list or send a donation to American Whitewater and add in the comments section that your contribution is for the Mokelumne River.
Dave Steindorf
4 Baroni Drive
Chico, CA 95928