Amador County – A proposed expansion of the Pardee Reservoir has raised red flags among opponents who view the project as detrimental to the environment and the local economy. Under the proposal, East Bay MUD would flood the entire Middle Bar reach of the Mokelumne and nearly a mile of the Mokelumne above Highway 49 in order to meet its water needs in dry years. But local opponents are concerned about any EBMUD decision that would drastically alter a vital component of their own backyard. “We don’t feel we should have to give up more of our river so people in the east bay can take longer showers and water their lawn,” said Katherine Evatt, Board Director for the Foothill Conservancy. She said river advocates collectively spent more than 30 years trying to open reaches of the Mokelumne to the public, resulting in one of the most popular kayaking destinations in central California and a popular fishing reach. “People have put a lot of time and money into making the Mokelumne a viable economic resource,” Evatt said. Environmental groups like the Sierra Club have expressed concern over the impact flooding would have on river plant species and fish populations. “It raises questions about how to restore salmon and steelhead populations after that much more potential habitat is lost,” said Evatt. EBMUD Spokesman Charles Hardy stressed that any decision on implementing the proposal was still a long time down the road. “This is all part of our long range planning activities looking at water supplies through 2040,” he said. He said the EIR recommended choosing an option: Pardee expansion or a regional desalinization plant. “We have more knowledge about raising Pardee than desalinization, but this decision is a long time down the road and research on desalinization could prove it to be more cost effective.” Another issue is jurisdiction and whether Amador County will have any say in new dam construction. Hardy said EBMUD considers itself part of the community and “the days of coming in and taking what you want have been over for a long time.” EBMUD would have to overcome a number of hurdles to build locally, including water rights applications and guidelines set forth through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission guidelines. In the meantime, dam expansion opponents such as the Foothill Conservancy, Friends of the River, American Whitewater and the City of Jackson are encouraging EBMUD to meet its water needs through conservation. The EBMUD Board of Directors is currently discussing methods of effective water conservation for the future. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.