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We appreciate the recreational value of the Mokelumne, but believe that the water needs of the counties bordering the river come first. Storing extra water in Lower Bear would temporarily impact the flow of the Mokelumne, which might adversely affect the interests of kayakers and other recreational users. We draw our water from the Mokelumne, and we had several concerns about this law one of these concerns is that its passage would affect our ability to store water in Lower Bear Reservoir, which is particularly important during a time of drought. Twenty-one local water agencies, including the First Mace Meadow Water Association, opposed SB1199 unless it was amended to better protect local water rights. It passed the Senate and went to the Assembly, but failed to clear the Appropriations Committee.
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In February 2014, Senator Loni Hancock of Oakland introduced Senate Bill 1199, which would have designated a portion of the Mokelumne River (from Salt Springs to Pardee Reservoir) as wild, scenic, or recreational. UPDATE: Construction of the GSL was expected to be completed by December 2014, but the latest information we have received is that it will not be finished until April 2015.
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Here is a map of the planned route for the GSL, courtesy of the Amador Water Agency. We have always been concerned that a fire in the area might destroy these pumps just when water would be needed most for fire suppression. But this entails considerable cost in electricity, and the pumps are very old and would need to be replaced soon, at great expense. For many years our water has been pumped up from the Tiger Creek Afterbay. We are happy to report that construction has begun on the gravity supply line that will bring water from the Regulator to the Buckhorn treatment plant.