| |
theresaAW1
Member
|
Posted: May 27, 2021 Post Subject: SCHEDULE CHANGE 2021 RECREATIONAL RELEASES
|
|
| Annually, American Whitewater goes through the process of helping to coordinate release dates on the Mokelumne River with Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), the Ecological Resource Committee including the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service. This year is shaping up to be a drought year in California and collaboratively we must adapt to changing situations on the ground. Therefore, we are posting changes to the release days on Tiger Creek. PG&E has canceled the release dates of Saturday June 19th and Saturday June 26th. These releases are now rescheduled for Wednesday June 2nd and (tentatively) Wednesday June 9th.
In a nutshell, during the month of June in Critically Dry Water Years, PG&E is operationally unable to provide enough water for two consecutive days of recreational flows on Tiger Creek without violating conditions of their hydropower license. (i.e. providing the required duration of ramp up and ramp down flows). PG&E is highly dependent on accretion from side tributaries for Tiger Creek recreational releases. Currently, there is little to no flow contributions coming from the side tributaries to the NF Mokelumne. Without this accretion PG&E is forced to either apply for flow variances with managing agency consent and approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) or simply stagger the days of recreational releases. This year, PG&E chose the latter.
Staggering the release day leaves a choice of Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, since Saturday releases are already scheduled for the first two weeks in June. American Whitewater suggested providing recreational releases mid-week on Wednesdays. It is our hope that paddlers who work on the weekends and specifically those who work for commercial outfitters can find the time to enjoy the releases on Tiger Creek. So correct your calendars and enjoy the flows!
| | | |
