Bald Eagle Photo Friday at San Antonio Reservoir

Happy Photo Friday!

This week’s pick comes courtesy of Kevin and Pat from our Natural Resources and Lands Management staff.

We have spent a lot of time writing about the nesting pairs of bald eagles who reside at Calaveras Reservoir and the pair near our restoration sites near San Antonio Reservoir in the SFPUC-owned Alameda Creek Watershed. But we’d like to introduce you to a more recent arrival to the San Antonio Reservoir area.   

This pair has made its home closer to our Turner Dam at San Antonio Reservoir.  Since it is the time of year when our pairs are on their nests taking care of chicks, our staff spotted two eaglets in their nest.

Once bald eagles find a nesting location they like, they tend to stay in the area. Which is why these bald eagles and our Natural Resources and Lands Management staff have gotten to know one another.  Our staff monitors the well being of these birds on a weekly basis. They all have been trained on bald eagle monitoring and behavior. Knowing these particular birds and bald eagle behavior enables our Natural Resources staff to know quickly if the birds seem ‘off’ because they have been disturbed by something.  

These little ones will fledge (develop the ability to fly) anywhere from 8 to 14 weeks of age. For now, they’re being fed a consistent diet of fish found in the reservoirs and creeks within the Alameda Watershed.

Healthy watersheds provide high quality water and also provide a safe haven for many amazing plants and animals. We consider it an honor and a privilege to look after these watershed lands, and all who live there, too.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Series #2 Do you Know Your Tap Water? – Local Waters

Second in our series of ‘Do you know your tap water’, begs the question, OK, 85% from Hetch Hetchy, straight through the Sunol Valley to our customers… but what about the rest?

 
The rest of the water supply comes from local reservoirs. In the Sunol Valley that includes two: Calaveras and San Antonio Reservoirs. Calaveras, when full, is our system’s second largest drinking water reservoir, second only to Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. It also stores only local watershed waters from the Arroyo Hondo and Alameda Creek. San Antonio Reservoir, on the other hand, stores water from San Antonio Creek, and we can also store Hetch Hetchy water there as well.
 

Calaveras Reservoir, shown here prior to the start of construction of the Replacement Calaveras Dam, stores local water only.

 San Antonio Reservoir Stores both Local Watershed Waters and Hetch Hetch Hetchy Water

We must filter the water from these local reservoirs at our Sunol Valley Water Treatment Plant before we send it to our customers.

Some facts about local dams and reservoirs that you may not know:

• The dam at San Antonio Reservoir is called Turner Dam, after former SFPUC General Manager, James H. Turner.

Turner Dam

• When originally constructed in 1925, Calaveras Dam was the largest earth-fill dam in the world.

Existing Calaveras Dam. The New dam is being constructed directly downstream of the existing one. The site looks very different today!

 

• Both reservoirs support habitat for many rare and endangered species. Each reservoir also has a nesting pair of bald eagles. Learn more about them here.

Catch up on the Do you know your Tap Water series.

See you around Sunol Valley!