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SFPUC debates State Water Board Bay-Delta amendment as city joins lawsuit; commission seeks peer review
Summary
At its Jan. 22 meeting the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission discussed the State Water Board's Bay-Delta plan amendment and voluntary settlement agreements affecting Tuolumne River flows. Staff warned of supply impacts, called for rapid negotiation before a March 1 deadline and said the city joined litigation as a protective measure; public commenters and commissioners pressed for peer review and clarity on implementation and funding.
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission heard a detailed briefing Jan. 22 on the State Water Board's Dec. 12 amendment to the Bay-Delta plan and the voluntary settlement agreement (VSA) framework proposed for the Tuolumne River.
Steve Ritchie, assistant general manager for water, told commissioners the adopted plan carries "significant impacts on the San Francisco water supply with uncertain benefits for the Tuolumne River." He described key VSA elements: functional flows linked to the Don Pedro FERC relicensing schedule, a spill-management plan to maximize ecological benefit of spill events, and approximately $76 million in proposed habitat improvements split into two $38 million program pots.
Ritchie said…
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