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Temperance Flat
Temperance Flat
The biggest ongoing threat to the river and Delta is the proposal by the State and Federal governments to build the large and expensive ($3.5 billion) Temperance Flat dam upstream of Friant Dam.
The new dam would bury another 15 miles of the river and existing hydroelectric generation facilities, and thus be a net drain on our energy supply and provide very little new San Joaquin River water supply. This will have a particularly negative impact if the other less expensive and less damaging groundwater storage projects are constructed, for which funding has been already authorized by the settlement legislation.
The recently released plan formulation report for Temperance Flat (aka as the Upper San Joaquin River Storage Investigation) showed that a significant portion of the water supply yield from Temperance Flat is actually derived from the ability to integrate its operation into the State Water Project and allow more Delta water to be diverted.
The biggest ongoing threat to the river and Delta is the proposal by the State and Federal governments to build the large and expensive ($3.5 billion) Temperance Flat dam upstream of Friant Dam.
The new dam would bury another 15 miles of the river and existing hydroelectric generation facilities, and thus be a net drain on our energy supply and provide very little new San Joaquin River water supply. This will have a particularly negative impact if the other less expensive and less damaging groundwater storage projects are constructed, for which funding has been already authorized by the settlement legislation.
The recently released plan formulation report for Temperance Flat (aka as the Upper San Joaquin River Storage Investigation) showed that a significant portion of the water supply yield from Temperance Flat is actually derived from the ability to integrate its operation into the State Water Project and allow more Delta water to be diverted.
In the next year, the Temperance Flat proposal will undergo a more detailed feasibility study and environmental impact assessment, which will require The Bay Institute's review and comment. Proponents of the dam want to secure a portion of the statewide bond proposed for the November 2010 ballot. The Bay Institute will continue to engage in this area in the coming year, as it is a core issue in the ongoing debate on how to provide for California’s future water supplies in an environmentally and economically sound manner.
The Bureau of Reclamation’s 2009 plan formulation report for Temperance Flat (aka as the Upper San Joaquin River Storage Investigation) showed that a significant portion of the water supply yield from Temperance Flat is actually derived from the ability to integrate its operation into the State Water Project and allow more Delta water to be diverted. The economic analysis in the Bureau’s report is also highly questionable. For reference, see Peter Gleick’s blog post.
The Bureau of Reclamation’s 2009 plan formulation report for Temperance Flat (aka as the Upper San Joaquin River Storage Investigation) showed that a significant portion of the water supply yield from Temperance Flat is actually derived from the ability to integrate its operation into the State Water Project and allow more Delta water to be diverted. The economic analysis in the Bureau’s report is also highly questionable. For reference, see Peter Gleick’s blog post.
