Last Sunday I seized the opportunity to paddle the Electra Run of the Mokelumne River. This rafting trip was a rare treat hosted by the Foothill Conservancy and OARS river outfitters.
Recently East Bay Municipal Utility District has proposed, among other options, the raising of the Pardee reservoir dam, flooding much of the Mokelumne river. Now, although The East Bay communities have done an admirable job of conserving water so far, growth in the area is assured and with that growth comes the need for more watter. Pardee has been a valuable drinking water storage facility for decades, it has also been a bone of contention, but in general EBMUD (and the East Bay People) have done a good job of working with the locals here in Amador and Calaveras Counties.
I’m posting this video, produced by a fellow paddler and all around cool guy Mike E Wier to help bring home one of the threats that that growth poses. I’m not saying stop building, or anything as drastic as that, I just want to point out one of the magical places that could very easily disappear if people don’t go out of their way to notice and protect it.
I for one am proud to be doing my small part to help. And I got to enjoy a terrific morning on the river!
You could too… I would gladly take any of you who would like to see some of this magic area out for a visit. Just get in touch!
Mokelumne
Mokelumne Wild and ScenWier froVimeo Wier on Vimeo.
Great to meet you on the river last week. While East Bay MUD has a pretty good conservation program, it could do even better. (There are places in Southern California that use less water per person.) By conserving at a higher level, EBMUD wouldn’t need any new dry-year water supply.
The long-term solution for Mokelumne River conservation is National Wild and Scenic River designation. If people want to keep our river a river, they should sign on to support that designation at http://www.foothillconservancy.org or at the Foothill Conservancy booth at the Amador County Fair.
Most people in the East Bay have no idea their water supply comes from this wonderful river. If you have friends or family in the East Bay, please ask them to send an e-mail to EBMUD from our website or write their EBMUD director to urge the utility to leave the Mokelumne alone.