I would like to make one small suggestion:. Yoohyun Jung is the Deputy Data Editor for The San Francisco Chronicle. While forecasters can predict the likelihood of future rainfall over large areas, they cant pinpoint it to the degree needed to determine whether a particular watershed/reservoir will overflow and cause damage and loss of life. The water system, which includes the landmark Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, is expected to fill this winter, for the first time since 2019, with nearly 1.5 million acre-feet of water. Why is Lake Nacimiento and Lake San Antonio not listed? One of the most impressive was Hetch Hetchy, which provides drinking water to 2.6 million people in San Francisco and other Bay Area communities. And early forecasts show the rest of the wet season is not likely to produce enough precipitation. Is that from melting snow and rain water coming from the mountains and filling it up? I dont know if weve seen anything like this in October before.". This was helpful to project seasonal trends & storm impacts. Its supposed to be brown. All of this work is nothing short of brilliant. the issue, including those under Franklin Delano Roosevelt, According to the SFPUC, the upper reaches of the Tuolumne River have received about 36 inches of rain since the start of the water year in October, almost as much as what the area averages in a year. Yes, and why is Twitchell Dam also not listed? Historical average is near unattainable these days. Water storage facilities include watersheds, dams, and reservoirs including: Calaveras, San Antonio, Crystal Springs, Pilarcitos, and San Andreas. provides water to 2.7 million residents and businesses in the San After record snowfall in December was followed by a dry January, there are renewed concerns of drought. Hetchy Reservoir can store as much as 117 billion gallons for the Yep. Your email address will not be published. Wonderful site. San Franciscos Hetch Hetchy water system is almost full for the first time in years. You dont see runoff right away, the snow is still up there, frozen, doing what we want it to do, he said. Data have been checked by the reporting agency. Begin at O'Shaughnessy Dam. If you are reading this, its probably the winter rainy season in California again, and time to check on the status of the water in the California reservoirs. Crystal Springs Reservoir, along Highway 280 in San Mateo County, was 89 percent . So many facets beautifully chartered. Northern California's reservoir levels continued to rise in the week after an atmospheric river slammed the state with torrential rain and high winds. The OShaughnessy Dam i s 300 feet tall only medium-sized by todays standards. Charts from the California Department of Water Resources show conditions at key state reservoirs on Oct. 22 (left) and on Nov. 2 (right). They have restoredMono Lake,improved stream flows on the North Coast and in theCentral Valleyand diminished the threat to native fish in the Bay Delta. You can also use it to monitor only the reservoirs you are most interested in. Having it here would be great! Waterfalls gushed at Hetch Hetchy after an atmospheric river event in October 2021. HETCH HETCHY RES A HETCH HETCHY CA. He frequently writes about water, wildfire, climate and the American West. And more work is underway. Most local reservoir inflow timeseries are too short to calculate long-term values. Ive been meaning to search for aquifer levels. Theyve also seen drought surcharges on their water bills. GNSS2 - Level 2 Quality Survey Grade Global Navigation Satellite System. How come the totals disagree with the cal map graphic? Similar to the water supply issues discussed above, the amount of power replacement is small in a statewide context less than of 1% of the renewable power supply being developed this decade alone. Restore Hetch Hetchys subsequent appeal to the ruling was https://cdec.water.ca.gov/dynamicapp/QueryDaily?s=HTH Awesome work!! The construction of the Hetch Hetchy Railroad took place from 1915 to 1918. But the growing water reserves dont please everyone. Lake Almanor isnt controlled by DWR for flood/supply. Hetch Hetchy Water System The system originates more than 100 miles from its primary customers, in Yosemite National Park. Check out my **new combined California reservoir and snowpack visualizer** to compare to historical values, as well asthe California precipitation tracker and California snowpack visualizer. The windfall of water is welcome news for households and businesses in San Francisco, which use less water on average compared to the rest of the state but nonetheless have faced calls to cut back since 2021 because of water shortages. The north (side of the reservoir) usually has two waterfalls going at the best of times, but youll see up and down the canyon walls, if you look close, you count there are about 12 waterfalls running now, said Steve Ritchie, the SFPUCs assistant general manager of water enterprise, during a recent drought report to the agencys governing board. Its fluctuating between ~107% and ~20% from one hour to the next (reading 107.6 atm). My guess would be that the recent systems have been cold and so they are predominantly dropping snow on the watershed. All rights reserved. Much of the water passing through Holm would be diverted into the Mountain Tunnel and be used to generate power a second time at the Moccasin powerhouse. The cities, water districts and private utilities represented by the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency (BAWSCA) rely upon the Hetch Hetchy system for water to protect the health, safety and economic well being of 1.8 million citizens, businesses and community organizations. Hetch Hetchy is the only reservoir above its average storage of 63%, and is 82% full. Before returning to the Bay Area, she held roles as transportation reporter and trending news reporter at the IndyStar in Indianapolis. San Francisco's water-bank in Don Pedro Reservoir, downstream on the Tuolumne River, holds twice as much water as Hetch Hetchy. However, I am interested in how much we are saving. For example, the average storage level for Feb. 7 is usually 65% of capacity for Trinity Dam, but currently its at 31%. This other page: If you click on the list button in the top right of the dashboard, it will show a list of the reservoirs (in order of size from largest to smallest) and you can check which ones you would like to display. The recent spate of storms lifted the statewide snowpack to 190% of average for the start of the month, and more snow is on the way. } Trailhead coordinates: 37.946905, -119.787376 (37 56 48.85N 119 47 14.55W) //this function is called from the javascript from within the iframe after the contents of iframe are loaded (and after an additional 150ms delay) Fish and Wildlife Service that provides an immediate $4 million investment for habitat improvements for fisheries in the Tuolumne River. Nate, thanks for the insight. . If you are on a computer, you can hover your cursor over a reservoir and the dashboard at the top will provide information about that individual reservoir. word for a type of wild grass. You can find the charts below from the California Department of Water Resources website. https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/11275500/#parameterCode=00054&period=P7D. Then it has the appearance of something filling up, while still providing all the detail. A diverse mix of sources protects us from potential disruptions due to emergencies or natural disasters, provides resiliency during periods of drought, and helps us ensure a long-term, sustainable water supply as we address issues such as climate uncertainty, regulatory changes and population growth. And while one storm didn't come close to ending the drought, some reservoirs in Northern California, especially those that fell right in the path of the storm, saw significant gains. Voters rejected a 2012 Hetch-Hetchy predicted to fill by end of the snowmelt period 2020-2021 Winter season continues to be dry 2019-2020 was dry, although key differences Feb. 2020 was unusually warm, which impacted snowfall levels and water demands; Feb 2021 was cooler, and hence snowfall level higher and water use lower Sierra Club unsuccessfully fought the reservoirs establishment An official website of the United States government. Navigation and Navigable Waters 33.208.82 Hetch Hetchy, Cherry Valley, and Don Pedro Dams and Reservoirs. It is on the graph. a minimum, according to the San Francisco Public Utilities This other page: https . From the main road, it's about a 20- to 25-minute drive to the parking area. Reservoir behind OShaughnessy Dam does not require filtration. They placed a few dissipators just before the river. This is a great and very thoughtfully designed web site! A separate vote would have been I will take a look and see if there are other important reservoirs missing and may add them in the future. She is also an alumna of Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting Investigative Fellowship and The New York Times Student Journalism Institute. It is also the amount of water in a cube that is 352 feet per side (about the length of a football field). For the first week of February, there was a slight increase for most reservoirs from January amounts. lawsuit, saying Restore Hetch Hetchys arguments were preempted CHERRY LK NR HETCH HETCHY CA Important Legacy real-time page Monitoring location 11277200 is associated with a LAKE, RESERVOIR, IMPOUNDMENT in TUOLUMNE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. looks like the CDEC website is the cause of the issue unless it actually dropped 90% in a day: San Francisco voters have demonstrated their opposition to In addition, San Francisco receives approximately one-tenth of its power from hydroelectricity generated by the gravity-driven flow from the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. I previously made a bar graph showing the overall level of water in the major California reservoirs. While it may seem that Decembers production could get us through the rest of the season, Rizzardo explains that in hydrology, you need consistent water shed to keep soils happy. He fears that without more precipitation this season, well enter our third very dry year. Reservoir levels rising. I like the comparisons of last year, and the historical average. Assistant General Manager for Water Steven Ritchie credits the way the system is managed along with lower. It was the only tool that I could find that would allow me to make a vertical marimekko graph. Great Job on this site! scenic mountain valley in a national park. }, false); Lake Tahoe really isnt part of California water, as the outflow goes to Nevada. Hi Keith, you could de-select the large reservoirs from the menu at the top right. A 1 week change would be interesting to show on each. I also added the ability to select specific reservoirs to display on the graph and share a custom URL which will point those selected reservoirs (click on list button on top right of dashboard). Prior to The Chronicle, she worked as a data journalist for Honolulu Civil Beat, a watchdog news organization covering the Hawaiian islands. Even with all the rain and floods, still a long way to fill them to capacity. Different presidential administrations also have tried to address I wonder why it doesnt work for you. "It was a very healthy shot in the arm. The reservoir is now projected to cost $4.4 billion, with Prop. Arg. Even with the latest precipitation, Folsoms values was unchanged. The valley is reloadiframes(); One gauge in the area has measured 6.12 inches since Oct. 1, which is 899% of normal. The trail takes you to the base of Wapama Falls, passing two smaller waterfalls (during spring) on the way. The Water Education Foundation is a nonprofit, tax-exempt, The advocacy group Restore Hetch Hetchy took its case for Copyright 2023Water Education Foundation. I am new to the state. Ive added it to my bookmarks for quick reference. At this facility, which is shared with other water agencies, the city can stash water for credits against future draws on the river. This is the first state (of 6 I have lived in) that has had water police and restrictions. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexander. Love easy to read and understand information. The commission plans to decide Nov. 23 whether to formally ask customers to conserve water. That puts it at 84 percent of where it would usually be usually at this time of year. UPDATE: Here's where California reservoir levels stand after this week's rains. Kellie Hwang is the newsletter editor for The San Francisco Chronicle. 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This November, a group of environmental advocates will put forth a ballot measure that would require the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission to develop a plan to drain Hetch Hetchy. 2022 All Rights Reserved. Park visitors walk across OShaughnessy Dam in Yosemite National Park on Sept. 1. Part of the lake is on the California side, but it has zero California water impact beyond the immediate Tahoe residents. So included in DWR #S. That includes the Tuolumne River, which provides water via Hetch Hetchy Reservoir to Bay Area customers. Shasta is very large and could hold about 3.5 cubic kilometers of water at full (but not flood) capacity. Turn right on to Hetch Hetchy Road - Evergreen Road and continue another 7.5 miles to the parking area for Hetchy Hetchy Reservoir next to the dam. maybe label the vertical axis with aggregate total or system total capacity. reserved. As the system aged, especially in an era of heightened safety awareness following the Loma Prieta Earthquake in 1989 and drought in the 1990s, it became evident that the system required a complete overhaul. The SFPUC has voiced concerns with the Plan, as it would dramatically reduce the agencys water supply, leaving it subject to significant rationing in droughts and more extreme weather conditions brought on by climate change. The Hetch Hetchy reservoir, which supplies water for San Francisco and other parts of the Bay Area, was at 77% of its 360,000-acre-feet storage capacity in January compared to 73% in. To reach Hetch Hetchy, you have to exit Yosemite National Park and re-enter it. The maximum that the city has put away is 570,000 acre-feet of water. The captured water is piped 150 miles to the Bay Area. Current as of October 03, 2022 | Updated by . It does not meet the California definition of renewable energy. Each row represents one reservoir, with bars showing how much of the reservoir is filled (blue) and unfilled (brown). Super frustrating. Partly because of low water, the rivers chinook salmon runs have plummeted from tens of thousands of fish annually a few decades ago to fewer than 1,000 in recent years. Just in case a large storm hits, that way they dont reach 100% capacity. Although Hetch Hetchy Reservoir is the most well-known, it stores less than 25% of the system's water. Related articles . Its great seeing all the reservoirs in California at or near historical averages. The regional water system provides water to 2.4 million people in San Francisco, Santa Clara, Alameda and San Mateo counties. The middle portion of the watershed from New Don Pedro Reservoir to above Hetch Hetchy Reservoir is characterized by deep canyons and forested terrain. We own and operate the Hetch Hetchy Regional Water System which serves 2.7 million customers. Maybe just acre/ft with ^ or down arrow. Saved to my favorites now. "It is unknown how much area of the Feather River and Shasta Lake drainages are impacted by hydrophobic soils.". This system encompasses more than 1,250 miles of distribution pipelines, as well as 12 in-City reservoirs and eight water tanks with a total storage capacity of approximately 413 million gallons. 95 percent of. This is my first year watching the levels, so maybe Im missing something. California reservoir levels: . Greetings from Mount Laurel New Jersey. Winter weather conditions may cause road closures. Thanks for taking the time to do that. It used to be full (and beyond). I know this might be difficult to display but Im very curious on the actual amounts of water consumed on a monthly basis and if this is somehow processed in a certain between what is agricultural and what is non-commercial etc? San Francisco and the thousands of suburban . Another not monitored by the State? required on whether to demolish OShaughnessy Dam. Sacramento CA 95833, Everything about California water that matters, Western States Water Agencies and Districts. A dry January with little rainfall across much of Northern California actually didnt hurt the states water storage levels, according to data from the California Department of Water Resources. Hours: Year-round, but only accessible by car when the Hetch Hetchy Road is open. Privacy Policy | 2011-2021 San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. Owned by the city of San Francisco, Hetch Hetchy Reservoir Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Francisco Public Utilities Commissions 26 wholesale customers Thanks for the prompt reply! Current conditions of LAKE OR RESERVOIR WATER SURFACE ELEVATION ABOVE NGVD 1929 and RESERVOIR STORAGE are available. Great resource! The Department of Water Resources, which manages the state's water supply, said in a statement that there are several possible reasons for the difference in inflow amounts between the two reservoirs. Near the town of La Grange, the river exits the Sierra Nevada foothills and flows through a gently sloping alluvial valley that is incised into Pleistocene alluvial fans. San Francisco maintained the phrase only Additionally, the bounty helps the more than two dozen communities in Alameda, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties that get their water from the city. But tearing down O'Shaughnessy Dam in order to restore Hetch Hetchy Valley would be a disaster. San Francisco operates three medium-sized hydro-electric power plants in the Tuolumne River watershed Kirkwood, Moccasin, and Holm. A lock ( The current power produced by the SFPUC system, although not carbon-based, is not green since it requires the continued destruction of significant habitat. At the beginning of this water year, which started on October 1, 2022, the state's largest water reservoir, Lake Shasta, was a third full, at 33 percent. Hi, I started by using this page (https://cdec.water.ca.gov/reportapp/javareports?name=RES) to determine which reservoirs to include and for some reason Almanor isnt on the list. The name Hetch Hetchy is derived from a Sierra Miwok Hetch Hetchy Level before the storm: 3,729.68 feet Level after the storm: 3,750.99 feet Total rise: 21.31 feet Storage before the storm: 221,500 acre-feet Storage after the storm: 257,800. They are draining it currently so that it can serve as that overflow if needed given how much rain is coming down and expected over the next week. Usually with warm ARs, you get a dramatic increase in inflow, which can fill even very large reservoirs relatively quickly, like Oroville in 2017. Monitoring location 11277200 is associated with a LAKE, RESERVOIR, IMPOUNDMENT in TUOLUMNE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. If a reservoir gets filled to 100% and more, the dam will break and many cities will get flooded, so the operators are careful. Excellent graphic! If we reach 100% after the current rains and then it stops raining for the season, then our percentage will start going down. It updates hourly using data from the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) website, giving an up-to-date picture of California reservoir levels. There is something strange about the data over the last two days (Jan.17 to Jan. 19): In another sign that Californias drought is easing, San Francisco captured more than a years worth of water in just one months time. The main goal of this visualization is to provide a quick overview of the status of the main reservoirs in the state and how they compare to historical levels. California boosts water deliveries to highest level in years, thanks to storms, California reservoir levels: Charts show water supply across the state, Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area. According to the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, Hetch Hetchy Reservoir can store as much as 117 billion gallons for the Hetch Hetchy Regional Water System, which serves San Francisco, Santa Clara, Alameda and San Mateo counties. Constitution used to support the arguments to remove the dam was The recent spate of storms lifted the statewide snowpack to 190% of average for the start of the month, and more snow is on the way. The Hetch Hetchy reservoir, which supplies water for San Francisco and other parts of the Bay Area, was at 77% of its 360,000-acre-feet storage capacity in January compared to 73% in December, and on Feb. 7, it was up to 82%. Ive looked at reservoir sights for years. For each of the top 8 reservoirs the storage has increased by a total of 217 kaf, however). Its important to note that other communities in California have taken actions in far greater magnitude than SF to make our waterways more sustainable. I am grateful for all that you have done here to open our eyes to what is happening, what has happened, and even what might be on the horizon. Echoing the sentiments of famed naturalist John Muir, members say the glacially-carved Hetch Hetchy Valley that the reservoir sits in is comparable in grandeur to Yosemite Valley and should not be flooded. Take CA Highway 120 from the park toward Groveland. Spring snowmelt runs down the Tuolumne River and fills Hetch Hetchy, the largest reservoir in our water system. Monitoring location 11275500 is associated with a LAKE, RESERVOIR, IMPOUNDMENT in TUOLUMNE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. Find out more about the system at http://www.sfwater.org, BAWSCA Board Policy Committee Meeting, April 12, 2023 1:30pm. What happened to the Hetch Hetchy level? Weve been at zero now for several weeks, and we really want to see that turn around., Kellie Hwang and Yoohyun Jung are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Major snowstorm might leave you stranded, New 101 express lanes opens in Bay Area. Lake Mendocino, which has a capacity of 122,400 acre feet, saw the biggest boost from 17% of storage capacity in December to 35% in January. Our reservoirs were alarmingly low. The upcountry portion of the System begins with Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park. BAWSCA Board of Directors Meeting, March 16, 2023, 6:30 PM. So my question is, How do we know if we are saving the water for later release (late summer) or are we releasing it to the ocean? I live close to Eastman Lake. David Rizzardo, hydrology section manager for the California Department of Water Resources, said there are a lot of factors that affect reservoir storage. It wont be full until Spring snowmelt. Its water supply Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, in the Sierra Nevada is 80% full, the ground is saturated and near-record rainfall has occurred in recent days. https://cdec.water.ca.gov/dynamicapp/QueryDaily?s=SHA Is that a good thing? Shasta, Oroville, Hetch Hetchy and many others were built by damming large rivers. In 2016, a Tuolumne County Superior Court judge dismissed the 501(c)3 organization, federal tax ID #942419885. Jeff, the average changes daily as well. This website along with another shows that Eastmans level is still rising even though we have not had rain in more than a week. It could be the 180% of historical average of snowpack, which will be melting in a couple months. Its promising, but too early to let our guard down, said Joseph Sweiss, spokesman for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, the citys water purveyor, in an email to The Chronicle. Quite an eye opener. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite delivers water to 2.6 million Bay Area residents every day. Hetch Hetchy water travels 160 miles via gravity from Yosemite to the San Francisco Bay Area. The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission is involved in on-going negotiations with the State on a voluntary agreement for implementation of the Bay-Delta Plan, which calls for large increases in water releases on the tributaries to the San Joaquin River, a major tributary to the Bay-Delta. Amy Graff is the news editor for SFGATE. According to the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, Hetch The water travels through a series of pipelines before it reaches the Bay Area and blends with five local reservoirs. Heres an example of that data for Shasta, where you can see the daily inflows and outflows: 2013, photo, the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir is hazy with smoke . Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. While the rainfall has been bad for many people, I am happy to see Californias reservoirs are benefiting slightly, Amen! Several cities and water agencies that are now part of BAWSCA urged Congress to pass the Raker Act in 1913, the law that allowed federal lands in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, including Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park, to be used to build the water system. BAWSCA agencies advocated for the capital improvement program that was adopted by the SFPUC in 2002, and are actively monitoring its implementation. Previously, Kellie covered dining news and trends, visual arts, events and nightlife for the Arizona Republic, and freelanced for the former Contra Costa Times. Hetch Hetchy has generated controversy since it was first Santa Clara, Alameda and San Mateo counties. How do I contact support? The SFPUC has consistently stated that voluntary agreements are the best path forward for the Bay-Delta, as the voluntary agreement strikes the right balance between environmental stewardship and water reliability.
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