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PUC presents draft EIR for Lower Crystal Springs Dam improvements; DSOD‑required upgrades outlined
Summary
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission presented the draft EIR for hydraulic upgrades at Lower Crystal Springs Dam required by the Division of Safety of Dams (DSOD). The project would raise parapet walls, widen the spillway and enlarge the stilling basin to restore restricted reservoir levels; construction must be timed to avoid biological windows and the rainy season.
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and consultants presented the draft environmental impact report for the Lower Crystal Springs Dam improvements, an engineering program required by the California Division of Safety of Dams (DSOD) to address a hydraulic deficiency identified in 1983. The DSOD restriction had reduced operating levels at the reservoir by eight feet; the project would restore capacity by raising the parapet, widening and raising the spillway and constructing a much larger stilling basin, together with dam‑crest drainage improvements and a raised sampling station.
PUC project manager Tassos Bridal said the design is sized to pass the Division of Safety of Dams’ “probable maximum flood” (the DSOD design standard), a very large theoretical event. Bridal explained the tight construction window: much of the heavy work in the creek and stilling basin must be completed in the dry season to avoid damage to the dam and to comply with species‑protection windows. Consultant Boy Shao said work below the dam is restricted until after spring fish‑spawning seasons and that the dry season schedule obliges multiple shifts and a compressed timeline.
Public comment was invited and the hearing record for the draft EIR remains open through April 16, 2010. Staff noted written comments will be addressed in a comments and responses document appended to the final EIR. Commissioners asked about construction timing, the approximate cost effects of multiple shifts and the likely amount of restored reservoir capacity (about half of the DSOD restriction returned under normal operations). The PUC said the draft EIR will be finalized following the public comment period and that implementation will be coordinated with county roadway work (Skyline Boulevard) and regulatory measures to protect listed species.
Next steps: public comment accepted through April 16; staff will prepare responses to comments and refine the EIR before returning to the commission for certification and subsequent approval actions.
