American River Wildlife News
Deal on raising river's flow
Outdoor lovers will begin to see major improvements along the American River's south fork in little more than a year under an agreement to modernize the Sacramento Municipal Utility District's vast hydroelectric system.
The agreement will govern how SMUD operates its 11 dams and eight power plants in the Sierra Nevada for up to 50 years.
If approved next year by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the deal, reached Thursday, will provide more water for boaters, anglers and wildlife, and improve dozens of campgrounds, picnic areas and trails.
The deal concludes five years of sometimes testy negotiations between SMUD and a coalition of 13 government agencies and nonprofits. It was announced just one day before a federal deadline that would have triggered a prolonged and uncertain regulatory process.
Instead, both sides proclaimed Friday that they got what they wanted out of the agreement.
Read the story at the Sacramento Bee.