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PUC and Rec & Park outline Lake Merced watershed master plan; aim to keep lake levels higher
Summary
PUC assistant general manager Michael Carlin and Rec & Park's Katie Petruccione described a community-backed watershed master plan to raise and sustain Lake Merced levels using treated stormwater and groundwater; planners expect the master plan to be completed in roughly 18 months and to address facilities including the boathouse.
Michael Carlin, assistant general manager for water at the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, told the committee that Lake Merced water levels have risen roughly four feet over the past four years and that the PUC is developing an integrated watershed master plan to keep levels higher over time. The plan, Carlin said, relies on sustainable sources including treated stormwater and supplemental groundwater and follows recommendations of the Lake Merced Task Force. "We're working on an integrated water resources management plan for the lake," Carlin said, adding the task force has endorsed the approach.
Carlin said the master plan is being developed as a watershed plan that looks at land uses, recreational facilities and the long-term balance among boating, fishing, and other activities. He said the plan considers the boathouse's future and that phased work on the boathouse could move forward as facilities agreements are refined. The PUC is also exploring using Daly City recycled water for Harding Park golf courses through an interjurisdictional agreement.
Katie Petruccione of the Recreation and Park Department said Rec & Park is coordinating with PUC on the watershed planning process and will later redefine recreational activities with the commission and the public. Supervisors asked that the PUC and Rec & Park provide regular updates to their commissions and to the Board during the budget process; Carlin said the PUC already provides quarterly commission memos on Lake Merced and posts updates on its website.
Timeline and next steps: Carlin said the agencies hope the watershed master plan will be complete in about 18 months and that implementation steps will be articulated through the budget process and cooperative agreements between PUC and Rec & Park.
