EBMUD will not fight ruling on raising Pardee Dam
Mike Taugher
Contra Costa Times
05/24/2011
The East Bay's largest water district decided Tuesday not to appeal a court decision and instead rewrite parts of a $6 million study on the environmental impact of raising its Depression-era dam on the Mokelumne River.
The Oakland-based East Bay Municipal Utilities District is considering raising Pardee Dam or building a desalination plant to reduce rationing needed during droughts.
Last month, A Sacramento County Superior Court invalidated the environmental impact report, saying it failed to identify the harm that would be done by raising the dam and for not considering investing in the Contra Costa Water District's expansion of Los Vaqueros reservoir.
The district's board of directors voted unanimously Tuesday not to appeal.
"EBMUD will have to take a serious look at Los Vaqueros now," said Katherine Evatt, president of the Foothill Conservancy, which was one of the groups that sued.
