🚀 go-pugleaf

Marc Bernasconi (marcb@best.com) wrote:
: Can anyone on this newsgroup direct us to a FAQ list or website with 
: general information on San Francisco's water supply ... where does SF's 
: drinking water come from? What groundwater sources are there? What part 
: does Lake Merced play? We have read Cadilac Desert but are looking for 
: SF-specific info... Do we get water from the Hetch Hetchy reservoir? I 
: have a room full of people who seem to be obsessed with these questions 
: and now I am somewhat curious myself. 
: Thank you - email replies are fine as are posts to this group.
: Bye!

Hi Marc,

Basically SF and most of the Peninsula cities get their water from the 
Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park as well as Cherry and 
Eleanor Reservoirs nearby.  From high in the Sierra, the water is drop by 
tunnel, bypassing the Tuolumne River downstream, and sent over to 
Moccasin Reservoir south of Sonora near Don Pedro Reservoir.  From here 
it is by pipe across the valley to the City making various stops along 
the way for pumping etc.  I believe Lake Merced (which is South of SF?) 
is a holding reservoir for the City's Tuolumne river water.

One issue that SF should be aware of is that besides killing the second 
most fabulous valley in the Sierra Nevada, its water supply still causes 
problems for downstream recreation and fish because so much of the water 
is diverted out of the river and into pipes.  If SF joined Contra Costa 
Water Distrcit and LA and took its Tuolumne River water from the Delta, 
there could be an enormous benefit to chinook salmon, stripped bass and 
other threatened fish species.  You water would taste worse, but it would 
certainly help  the environment.

---
Kevin Wolf
724 N St
Davis, CA 95616
phone and fax: 916-758-4211
kjwolf@dcn.davis.ca.us