Photo Friday - Let it snow!

Calaveras Reservoir view from S. Calaveras Road

Snow is a a rarity among these parts of California.  This week the mountains and the valleys in Sunol were covered in it.  Here are some photos shared by our intrepid Watershed Keepers.

Photo courtesy of Kevin Woolen 

Taking a minute to enjoy the beautiful scenery.

Photo courtesy of Kevin Woolen

Our grazing tenants (cows) do their work against the rare backdrop of a snow-capped mountain.

Stay warm out there, and see you around the Valley!

Photo Friday - Newts!

Happy Photo Friday from the Calaveras Dam Replacement Project!

Even though the Replacement Calaveras Dam has reached its full height, our crews are still busy out there. And whenever our crews are working, so are our biologists. They are always on the lookout for critters who might have wandered onto the site.

Our intrepid team found this fellow recently climbing the wall of the dam’s spillway.

This is a California newt. Excellent climbers and land dwellers, these California natives are active during the day. They dine on small invertebrates like earthworms, snails, slugs, and crickets. They have few natural predators because they produce a potent neurotoxin in their skin (the same as pufferfish).  This is dangerous only if you eat them, however (predators take note).

Our biologists think this fellow was traveling to or from a body of water for breeding. The team placed it out of harm’s way in moist grass nearby, where he continued on his journey.

Lucky for us they had their camera handy.

Have a great weekend, and see you around the Valley!

Sunol The Bobcat is Back!

In the late summer of 2016, our team found this cute bobcat kitten alone and abandoned on the embankment of the replacement Calaveras Dam under construction.


Image courtesy of W.E.R.C

Our Environmental Inspector, Bill Stagnaro and Geologist, Carrie Dovzak, arranged for the kitten to be transferred to the Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center (W.E.R.C) in Morgan Hill, California. The W.E.R.C Center has a world-renowned bobcat kitten program. This program ensures that single orphans such as Sunol, as she was later named, do not become habituated during their time in care. They help socialize the orphan and reinforce bobcat behavior, such as hunting and stalking techniques.

Sunol was recently released, with the permission from California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife and the Park Rangers.  During her release, she was given plenty of water, prey, and cover to help ensure her long-time survival.



Image courtesy of W.E.R.C


Image courtesy of W.E.R.C

Bobcats, also called lynx rufus, are found throughout the United States. They are nocturnal animals that hunt small rodents. Many people confuse them for mountain lions even though they are much smaller.

We wish Sunol a very happy life in her native home.

See you around the valley!

For more information on the Bobcat rehabilitation program at W.E.R.C go to: http://www.werc-ca.org/bobcats.html

Photo Friday for the Birds

While this author spent time in the Sunol Valley this week, she spied an amazing bird. 

Sitting atop the construction fencing that keeps small (crawling) critters out of the construction site, was a bird with flaming yellow plumage accented with black.

This striking fellow (and yes it is a male, the females are much more subdued in color) is a Bullock's oriole. The Alameda Watershed is home from spring through summer to Bullock’s orioles, like this first-year male. They'll winter in Mexico or Central America before migrating north again next spring.

They dine on insects, fruit, and raid the occasional humming bird feeder for the nectar. 

See you around the Valley!

Join Us at the 2017 Sunol Wildflower Festival

It is wildflower season in the Sunol Valley! Come enjoy the wonderful blooming flowers at the annual Sunol Wildflower Festival hosted by our friends at the East Bay Regional Park District.

When:  Sunday, April 9, 2017 from 11am to 4pm
Where: Sunol Regional Wilderness, 1895 Geary Road, Sunol, CA
Cost:    Free admission ($5 parking)

The festival is a fun family day out.  Learn about watershed animals, wildflowers, and grasslands. Enjoy the beauties of spring in one of the East Bay Regional Park District’s crown jewels at the Sunol Regional Wilderness.

We at the SFPUC are looking forward to it. Stop by and visit us at our booth. Get the latest and greatest information on all of our ongoing projects. Flaunt your Alameda Creek Watershed knowledge and win a prize! Fun crafts for the kids. 

We hope you see you on April 9th where the wildflowers grow!


For more information about the festival, visit ebparks.org.

Spring at San Antonio Reservoir

Happy Photo Friday!

Anybody passing through the Sunol Valley these days can't help but notice that spring has sprung.  The hillsides are vibrant green. Wildflowers are starting to make their colorful appearance. 

And SFPUC Watershed Keeper Pat is out on the watershed, as usual. Today's Photo Friday is courtesy of Pat, who shared this early morning picture from San Antonio Reservoir.

Happy Spring, Everyone!

Celebrating Amazing Women Near You

Just this week, we celebrated International Women’s Day on March 8^th. March is also the beginning of National Women's History Month. In honor of the contributions of hard-working women everywhere, we wanted to highlight a few fabulous women who happen to work at the Calaveras Dam Replacement Project whose daily contributions ensure the success of this critical project. 

Eunice Lee, Field Engineer, Sukut Construction

As an alumna of the UC Irvine Civil Engineering program, Eunice has been working on heavy civil construction projects since 2010.  As part of the contractor’s team, Eunice is a field engineer who specifically oversees the installation of geotechnical instrumentation and the permanent power system for the future replacement dam.  Eunice truly enjoys being a part of this team working with so many experts and experienced individuals to build something great. 

Karene Salaam, Project Controls Analyst, Black and Veatch

Staff who make important contributions to the project don’t always work in the field. We have a team of people whose task it is to track project costs and spending. On a job the size of the Calaveras Dam Replacement Project, this is no simple task. Karene Salaam is part of the Construction Management team and oversees the preparation of cost reports, progress charts, manpower plans, equipment and material costs and project schedules.  Her careful review and analysis ensures the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission has close financial oversight of all project spending by the construction contractor and the subcontractors.

Carrie Dovzak, Geologist, Environmental and Naturally Occurring Asbestos Compliance Monitor, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC)

Carrie Dovzak has worked for the SFPUC for 10 years, the last 6 1/2 of it working on Sunol Valley projects. It is Carrie's job to monitor construction activities to ensure compliance with environmental regulations and protections. She studied geology after traveling the world with her family - a perk of her father working for Pan American Airlines. After graduating, she mapped landslides in Northern Italy before returning to the U.S. to join her family. She continued her studies in Engineering Geology and Environmental Education at San Jose State and Hayward State. "Everyone should take a few classes in geology, you see the world in a completely different way!" she insists.

Ritu Gyawali Giri, Senior Engineer, Piping and Pipeline, Sukut Construction

Ritu Gyawali Giri is part of the outlet works team. She and her team focus on the new piping and pipelines that allow the SFPUC to take water out of the reservoir to our customers. She began in the construction industry in 2002, as a Site Engineer in Nepal. She has worked on projects all over the world, from Asia to Africa to the United States. Ritu relishes working through the geographical and environmental challenges to build the new Calaveras Dam. She is delighted to be a woman engineer working at the Calaveras Dam Replacement Project.

From Acorns to Oaks

What do we see here looking down this plastic tube?

These are acorns collected from the Sunol Valley. For what you ask? We are planting over 150 Oak trees at the Calaveras Dam Replacement Project. As a commitment to the environment, the tree plantings are part of our mitigation to restore oak woodland at our project site. We are also committed to re vegetating all areas with annual grassland where oak woodland is not appropriate. 

Among the species being planted are the Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia) and the Blue Oak (Quercus douglassii). Historically, oak trees are slow growing and can take as long as two to three decades before they begin to provide significant shade. Winter is an ideal time to plant to allow the tree to focus on root growth. 

Some oaks can send a tap root down as deep as five feet in the first year of growth. To help the acorns sprout, and to avoid being dug up by squirrels and birds, they are placed in the plastic tubes right into the ground. The tubes also protect them from hungry herbivores –like deer - and provide a great micro climate for the trees to thrive. 

The next photo shows our oak tree plantings in an area we are no longer working in, the left abutment of the dam, located at the Calaveras Dam Replacement Project. 

See you around the Valley!

Getting By with a Little Help From Our Friends

We do not need to tell you that now is the rainy season in Northern California. Some amphibians in the  Sunol Valley use the the wet season to move around from their burrows to breeding habitat and to find food.

Recently one of the workers at the Calaveras Dam Replacement Project spotted this California newt  passing through the construction site. On its back a Sierran Tree frog was hitching a ride. Who can’t relate to a time when you need a lift to get where you’re going?

Our workers are trained to spot wildlife like this and move them out of harm’s way for construction… hitchhiking or not.

Stay safe and dry out there! 

Photo Friday in the Sunol Valley

Today we thought we’d combine two blog traditions - Photo Friday and Throwback Thursday.

Here’s a photo of how we used to transport water transmission pipe when Calaveras Dam was under construction in 1912.

Here’s a more recent example from a Water System Improvement Program (WSIP) project elsewhere in the Sunol Valley in 2012.

The water system that serves our customers is almost 100 years old in places, and less than 1 year old in others.  We will continue to upgrade crucial portions of the system through the $4.8 billion Water System Improvement Program and beyond through our 10 year Water Capital Improvement Program.

Have a great weekend everyone. See you around the Valley! 

Photo Friday: Bobcats on Calaveras Road

Here is a recent photo taken by our Watershed Keeper Pat in Sunol Valley. It was a reminder about the amazing wildlife out here in the Alameda Creek watershed and to keep a look out for them on the roads.

Just a reminder that due to storm damage, Calaveras Road remains CLOSED to all types of thru traffic 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, between Geary Road and Oakridge Road near the Alameda/Santa Clara County line.

Under normal conditions and the construction schedule, Calaveras Road would be open to thru traffic on weekends and holidays. However, at this time the road will remain closed every day to all traffic until further notice.

The entrance to East Bay Regional Park District's Sunol Regional Wilderness will be open at all times from the north.

Visit www.sfwater.org/calaverasroad for more details and for a map of the closure.

What's on Tap in Sunol Valley?

The New Year has brought much needed rainfall to the Sunol Valley. Despite the winter weather, our teams are continuing the important work to seismically upgrade the facilities that deliver drinking water to 2.6 million Bay Area customers. These projects are part of the $4.8 billion Water System Improvement Program (WSIP). The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) is the owner and operator of the Hetch Hetchy Regional Water System. In addition, other work, such as work on the Alameda Creek Watershed Center and upgrades to our Sunol Yard, are also underway this year. 

Calaveras Dam Replacement Project

Work is still underway to replace the existing dam with a seismically-robust dam in order to restore its historic storage capacity. Rebuilding this dam and filling the reservoir is crucial to the reliable water supply of our customers. Over seven million cubic yards of earth and rock materials have been excavated. We have started to construct the new dam. Crews have constructed a new tower and shaft with five adits which connect outlet pipelines to the reservoir. The new 1550 ft spillway was completed in April 2016. The dam and all the outlet works have been designed to withstand the force of a 7.25 magnitude maximum credible earthquake from the nearby Calaveras Fault. The project is over 78% complete.

Due to recent storm impacts, portions of Calaveras Road remains closed to the public on 7 days a week. Please visit sfwater.org/Calaverasroad for more specific details regarding the closure.

Fish Passage Facilities within the Alameda Creek Watershed

Construction for the Fish Passage Facilities within the Alameda Creek Watershed began earlier in 2016. The Calaveras Reservoir collects water from Alameda Creek by means of the Alameda Creek Diversion Dam (ACDD), a 1.8-mile-long Alameda Creek Diversion Tunnel from other streams that flow directly into the Reservoir.

The project will improve the current facility and develop fish passage facilities within the Alameda Creek Watershed. This important work will support restoration of steelhead trout to the Watershed. The project will construct a fish ladder to facilitate fish passage around the existing Alameda Creek Diversion Dam. The project is approximately 30% complete and project completion is expected in Fall 2018.

Alameda Creek Recapture Project

The proposed project would recapture a certain volume of water that would be released and bypassed at Calaveras Dam and Alameda Creek Diversion Dam. The recaptured water would be pumped from an existing quarry pit (Pit F2) in the Sunol Valley, downstream of the compliance points for the bypasses and releases below the ACDD and Calaveras Dam, respectively.

The project would utilize the natural infiltration of water into the ground in the vicinity of Pit F2, and the recaptured water would be transferred to the SFPUC water system via either the San Antonio Reservoir or the Sunol Valley Water Treatment Plant. The recapture operation would be conducted within the SFPUC’s existing pre-1914 appropriative water rights. 

The Draft Environmental Impact Report was released in November 2016. Construction is expected to begin in Fall 2017 and last for approximately 18 months.

Sunol Yard & Alameda Creek Watershed Center

Construction of upgrades to our Sunol Corporation Yard (located on SFPUC lands near the Sunol Water Temple) are expected to begin in February 2017 and last approximately 22 months.  

Please note that the Sunol Water Temple will be closed during construction to protect the safety of members of the public passing through the area. The Sunol AgPark will remain open to farmers during construction.

Alameda Creek Watershed Center in Sunol and work on the Education Master Plan for the Center continues in 2017. The Center design continues to undergo value engineering, and results are expected in early 2017.  Construction of the Native Plant Nursery for the plants that will be in the new Sunol Yard and Watershed Discovery Trail at the Center will also begin in 2017.

Fish Passage Facilities Project Celebrates Milestone for the Season

This week, the construction teams for the Fish Passage Facilities within Alameda Creek Watershed Project celebrated a few milestones. In preparation for the winter, much work must be completed within the stream. They have completed critical in-water work within the stream bed for the season. This work included completion of the conveyance structure. We also completed a concrete slab for the intake structure. The new intake structure will be constructed next year. All of this was work was completed while maintaining a safety record with zero recordable incidents this year.

View of conveyance structure completed with the Alameda Creek Diversion Dam in the background. The stream channel was also backfilled with river rock to winterize the site.

The construction teams took a break for a photo today

to celebrate maintaing a safety record for the project

Spooky Old Adits

We wanted to share a spooky tale from the Calaveras Dam Replacement Project. It seems even state-of-the-art construction projects aren’t without their spooky places.

While moving the rock and soil to make space for the new replacement Calaveras Dam, workers uncovered what looked like holes dug into the area surrounding the existing dam.

The holes are actually adits excavated by the builders of the first Calaveras Dam. 

Technically, an adit is an entrance or tunnel into a mine. Back in the early 1900’s the best way engineers had to explore the rock and soil for a damsite was to excavate adits to look at the underground geology. There are 16 total adits that were uncovered at the site.

We knew about the presence of these adits before we started to dig for the new dam foundation. However, it didn’t ease the creepy feeling workers had when they uncovered them. And some even claim equipment broke down and didn’t work properly while they were working around the adits, as if they were haunted.

The adits are mapped and filled in with concrete or rock to stabilize the ground prior to constructing the new dam on top, and to seal in any spooks that might be still be there…just in time for Halloween! 

Calaveras Dam Project shows Day Campers how to build their own Dam

It was a hot summer day in the Sunol Regional Wilderness Park. But that did not stop our project teams to meet with a group of energetic kids from the Ridge Runners Nature Day Camp. 

Staff met with the young, curious minds to tell them about the Hetch Hetchy Regional Water System along with what is happening just around the corner at the Calaveras Dam Replacement Project and the Fish Passage Facilities within the Alameda Creek Watershed.

The youth learned about how their drinking water reaches their tap and asked questions about how fish migrate along the fish ladder. The Fish Passage Facilities Project will support the migration of the steelhead trout in Alameda Creek, around the existing Alameda Creek Diversion Dam, when completed in late 2018.

In addition, the kids were able to become hands-on dam builders, designing and constructing their own dams with clay, gravel and sand materials. The soil samples provided will actually be used in the construction of the Calaveras Dam, an earth and rock filled dam, so the campers got to touch the very center of the dam.

Thank you to the Ridge Runners Nature Day Camp for the opportunity to hear about our important projects in the Sunol Valley!