Community News · Tuolumne County
TUD Board Approves CEQA Document for New Melones Water Contract
The Tuolumne Utilities District Board of Directors voted 4-0 on Tuesday to approve a negative declaration under the California Environmental Quality Act, clearing a key step toward finalizing a long-sought federal water contract with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Under the proposed agreement, TUD would gain access to purchase up to 2,500 acre-feet per year from New Melones Reservoir and could subcontract another 3,500 acre-feet to the Chicken Ranch Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians of California, running through Dec. 31, 2051 with a possible 25-year renewal. The contract would reduce TUD's reliance on PG&E's Main Tuolumne Canal, which supplies about 95% of the district's water and was damaged by a February winter storm that cut off supply for roughly two weeks. The effort traces back to a 1972 settlement agreement between the federal government and one of TUD's predecessor agencies.