Foothill Conservancy & others sue EBMUD over proposed Pardee expansion

From YubaNet.com:

“Foothill Conservancy, California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, and Friends of the River will file suit on November 19, 2009 in Amador County Superior Court to protect the Mokelumne River from the proposed expansion of Pardee Reservoir. The expansion is included in the East Bay Municipal Utility District’s 2040 water plan, which was approved by the EBMUD Board of Directors October 13.

The lawsuit seeks to overturn the environmental impact report on which the water plan and reservoir expansion are based. The EIR included review of one expansion option that would flood the entire Middle Bar reach of the Mokelumne River and up to a mile of the Electra Run above Highway 49. The EBMUD board retained four alternatives for a new Pardee Dam, three of which would destroy the Middle Bar reach and historic 1912 Middle Bar Bridge. The threatened area is valued for its whitewater boating, fishing, scenery, wildlife and cultural and historic resources. The new dam also threatens crashing fisheries downstream in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

“The Mokelumne River is not the property of East Bay MUD, and they are not above the law,” Foothill Conservancy Executive Director Chris Wright said in announcing the litigation. “Their program EIR doesn’t comply with the California Environmental Quality Act, but EBMUD approved it anyway-just like they kept the reservoir expansion in their plan over the objections of so many people, organizations, agencies, elected officials and local governments. … “

Read more from YubaNet.com by clicking here.

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