CSPA

Conservation Alert Upper San Joaquin River

Subject: CSPA Alert - Upper San Joaquin River

Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 18:50:10 +0000

From: Bob Baiocchi <cspa@psln.com>

Organization: CSPA

To: Distribution

CALIFORNIA SPORTFISHING PROTECTION ALLIANCE

CONSERVATION ALERT

We Need to Restore the Upper San Joaquin River - A Forgotten River

A lot of attention has been focsued on the San Joaquin River below the

infamous USBR's Friant Dam to restore the spring-run chinook salmon

fishery which was extinguished when the State of California failed to

carry out the law of the land and order the USBR to comply to state law,

and release flows to keep the fish in good condition at all times below

the dam. The battle over the water is on-going.

Very little has been mentioned about the Upper San Joaquin River Basin

above Friant Dam. Chinook salmon can no longer migrate into the upper

river because of Friant Dam. However, the Upper San Joaquin River

sustains wild trout and a degraded ecosystem.

Southern California Edison (SCE) operates a significant number of FERC

licensed power projects in the Upper San Joaquin River. SCE's hydro

projects are integrated into a massive unbelieveable plumbing system

which diverts water from reservoir to powerhouse to reservoir to

powerhouse. There are about 8 SCE powerhouses in the upper river. The

waterways that are affected by SCE's hydro operations are: San Joaquin

River; South San Joaquin River; Big Creek; Steveson Creek; Mono Creek;

Bear Creek; Hopper Creek; North Slide Creek; South Slide Creek;

Tombstone Creek; and Pitman Creek.

There are numerous SCE reservoirs, dams, and diversions throughout the

upper river. Those facilities are: Lake Thomas A. Edison; Mono Creek

Reservoir and Diversion; Bear Creek Reservoir and Diversion; Florence

Lake; Ward Tunnel; Huntington Lake; Shaver Lake; Mammoth Pool Reservoir;

Dam Diversion No.6, and Redinger Lake.

Many years ago the CSPA tagged SCE for failing to meet their meager

fish flow requirements below their dams and diversions. Thousands of day

of non-compliance were recorded.

SCE's Powerhouse No. 4 (FERC Project No. 2017) is up for relicensing

now. That project affects flows in the San Joaquin River below Redinger

Lake. The CSPA is working jointly with the California Hydro Reform

Coalition on the relicensing of this project, and the CSPA will be

filing a petition of intervention with FERC against SCE.

The CSPA today advised the Sierra National Forest about the cumulative

impacts to the public trust resources (wild trout - ecosystem) of the

Upper San Joaquin River Basin caused by the operations of SCE's hydro

projects. And that the USFS and other state and federal agencies should

petition FERC to reopen all of SCE's federal power licenses to

collectively mitigate all of the cumulative damages caused by the

projects to the ecosystem of the river.

Many organizations will be involved with the relicensing of this

project, which includes: CSPA; California Trout; American Whitewater

Affiliation; Friends of the River; California Save Our Streams Council;

San Joaquin Paddlers; Tehipite Chapter of the Sierra Club; and Yosemite

Chapter of the Audubon Society, including the California Hydro Reform

Coalition. It will take a massive effort by all of the groups to acquire

adequate flows and protection measues for the wild trout and the

environment of the Upper San Joaquin River.

The salmon are no longer there, but the wild trout are, and they need

water and habitat to survive.

For further information contact Bob Baiocchi at either 530-836-1115 or

at e-mail address: cspa@psln.com