We’re pleased to announce that Cecily Smith has joined our staff as the Foothill Conservancy’s second Executive Director. Cecily brings with her over 10 years’ experience working for environmental nonprofits. She comes to us from the Prairie Rivers Network, Illinois’ only statewide river protection and conservation nonprofit, where she was its Water Resources Specialist. Her program work included reform of Illinois water supply management policies, and reviewing and writing comments on Section 404 dredge and fill permit applications to the Army Corps of Engineers. She also worked toward reform of the Corps’ project processes and management policies on the Upper Mississippi River.
On Tuesday, April 24 in Oakland, the East Bay Municipal Utility District Board of Directors voted unanimously to approve a revised district Water Supply Management Plan 2040 that drops the controversial expansion of Pardee Reservoir. The expansion would have destroyed at least a mile of the Mokelumne River, including a section eligible for National Wild and Scenic River designation.
On Thursday, March 27, 2012, the East Bay MUD Board of Directors reviewed a revision to the utility's draft 2040 water plan that drops the proposed Pardee Expansion from the plan. This follows on the EBMUD press release issued on December 5, in which EBMUD announced that its updated plan EIR recommended against including a new expanded Pardee reservoir on the Mokelumne River.
Please click on the link above for our full story.
Today, the East Bay MUD Board of Directors voted unanimously not to appeal the decision in our lawsuit challenging their 2040 water plan approval, which included the proposed expansion of Pardee Reservoir.
On Monday, April 11, 2011, Sacramento Superior Court Judge Timothy M. Frawley ruled in favor of the Foothill Conservancy, California Sportfishing Protection Alliance and Friends of the River in our lawsuit challenging the East Bay Municipal Utility District’s 2040 water plan. It's a big win for the Moke! Thanks to everyone who helped. Click on the title to read more.
The lawsuit we filed against East Bay MUD with Friends of the River and the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance is the subject of a front page story in today's San Francisco Chronicle. The lawsuit will be heard in Sacramento on Friday, February 4.
Foothill Conservancy is an active member of the Amador-Calaveras Consensus Group, which recently received the U.S. Forest Service Region 5 Forester's Honor Award for ecological restoration.
Last year East Bay MUD claimed that building a larger dam and reservoir on the Mokelumne wouldn't have serious environmental impacts. But a 2004 EIR for EBMUD's Freeport Project said expanding Pardee would have "significant, unmitigable" impacts on the river.
This article discusses our lawsuit against East Bay MUD and our efforts to secure National Wild and Scenic River designation for the Mokelumne River. It does include one misleading statement: EBMUD's support for Wild and Scenic designation stops 1700 feet upstream of the Highway 49 Bridge, not below the bridge.
Foothill Conservancy is looking forward to stakeholder discussions that may now take place regarding National Wild and Scenic River designation for the Mokelumne River. We are confident that everyone's concerns can be addressed as our community joins together to Save the Moke.
Nearly 250 volunteers removed almost 8,000 pounds of trash and recyclables from the Mokelumne River and Camanche Reservoir in the 2010 Mokelumne River Cleanup on Saturday, September 25. The group included a number of students from Amador and Argonaut High Schools. Volunteers worked at six sites along the river, from Pioneer to Lockeford. Thanks, everyone!
The Amador County Historical Society has completed its first citizen survey intended to identify the 10 most endangered cultural sites in Amador County. The Mokelumne River and its associated sites ranked no. 4.
As a result of a legal action by the East Bay Municipal Utility District, our litigation challenging EBMUD's water plan approval has been moved to Sacramento County. Read our press release for details.
Faced with no other alternative, the Foothill Conservancy was forced to file
a lawsuit to stop the East Bay Municipal Utility District from destroying more of the Mokelumne River. The Conservancy was joined in the suit by the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance and Friends of the River.
On October 13, the East Bay Municipal Utility District board of directors voted to keep four versions of an expanded Pardee Reservoir in their long-range water plan. Read Foothill Conservancy news release here.
Videographer Mikey Wier joined us for our OARS Mokelumne River benefit raft trips on July 19. Click on the news item title to check out his wonderful video, shot from a raft and the shore.
One Bay Area writer's perspective on the proposed expansion of EBMUD's Pardee Reservoir. Good, concise summary of some of the key issues. From BeyondChron.Read it here.
Read the latest news story on the proposed expansion of Pardee Reservoir, in which EBMUD claims the bigger Mokelumne River dam is intended to create "peace" on the Mokelumne.
Read more on the issue and send EBMUD an e-mail on this page.
World rafting adventure professional John Yost of Murphys ran the Devil's Nose reach of the North Fork Mokelumne River a few weeks ago. Read part one of his first-hand account, as published in the Amador Ledger Dispatch.
THE FOOTHILL CONSERVANCY | PO Box 1255, Pine Grove CA 95665 | 209.295.4900
