Photo Friday: Sunol Long Term Improvements Project

Happy Photo Friday from the Sunol Long Term Improvements Project.

Construction on a new corporation yard, administration building, and shops buildings for the SFPUC Water operations staff in the East Bay began in February of 2017.  

Crews have made quite a lot of progress since then. 

The new administration building.

New shop buildings at the Corporation Yard.

View from inside the new Administration Building.

SFPUC staff have been temporarily housed at the former Sunol Valley Golf Course property. They hope to be able to move into their new digs sometime in late spring. 

See you around the Valley!

Two Sunol Valley WSIP Construction Projects Bring Home Awards

In February the Northern California Chapter of the American Public Works Association (APWA) bestowed high honors on the Calaveras Dam Replacement Project and Fish Passage Facilities Project.  Both projects are part of the $4.8 Billion Water System Improvement Program (WSIP).

The Calaveras Dam Replacement Project received two awards: Structures Award for Projects more than $75 million and the Contractor of the Year award for Dragados, Flatiron, Sukut, Joint Venture.























Sunol Regional Project Manager, Susan Hou and Manuel Morejon, Dragados-USA, Project Manager accept the Calaveras Dam Replacement Award for Projects more that 75 million.





















The Fish Passage Facilities Project received the Environmental Award for Projects $25 million but less than $75 million.


 

Eric Gee, Project Manager and Sam Gambino of AECOM accept the Environmental Award for Projects $25 million but less that $75 million for the Fish Passage Facilities Project.

The APWA was created in 1937. It’s a non-profit professional organization that serves professionals in all aspects of public works.


















APWA’s Awards Program was established to recognize outstanding individuals, groups and chapters representing the best in the public works profession.

In September all three projects will compete at the national level.

Congratulations to both the Calaveras Dam Replacement Project and the Fish Passage Facilities Teams!

See you around the Valley!

Photo Friday: Calaveras Reservoir

Mother Nature has given the Bay Area a serious drenching during the last couple of weeks.

So much in fact that Calaveras Reservoir has started to fill. The SFPUC lowered the water level in Calaveras Reservoir because of seismic concerns about the old Calaveras Dam.

The SFPUC built a new dam, which reached its full height in September. This means we are ready to allow the reservoir to start filling with local Alameda Creek Watershed runoff.

And fill it did.


This photo was taken in January 2019. The remnants of the old dam are seen on the right, where the reservoir begins to fill. The new dam is on the left.



This photo was taken last week. The reservoir has filled the entire space between the old and new dams.

Calaveras Reservoir helps supply drinking water to 2.7 million residents in four Bay Area counties.

The Calaveras Dam Replacement Project is 98 percent and is scheduled to be completed in spring 2019.

See you around the Valley!

Willow Branches Everywhere

Biologist Aaron Sunshine planting Willows

Fully-Grown Arroyo Willow

The recent rains have done wonders for our reservoirs and watersheds. It also happens to be the ideal time for putting plants in the ground for environmental restoration of our Alameda Watershed Lands. 

Of late, our Calaveras Dam Replacement Project biologists have devoted themselves to willows. A total of 36 willows have been planted by the downsteam building of the newly-constructed Replacement Calaveras Dam alongside Calaveras Creek. The types of willows planted were red willows (Salix laevigata), Arroyo Willows (Salix lasiolepis) and Narrowleaf or sandbar willows (Salix exigua). All are native to California and to our watershed. 

There are approximately 400 species of willows worldwide. You don’t have to look far to find them, all you need is a good water source. That’s because willows like their roots to be very wet, and they prefer year-round moisture.

The interesting part of willows is that they are easy to propagate. An entire willow tree can grow from a single branch.

The best time of the year to cut and plant is during the winter, preferably in January. Our Calaveras Dam Replacement Project biologists harvested branches from willows within the watershed and planted them along Calaveras Creek as part of the project's restoration plan.

The willows will be monitored annually for the next five years to ensure that they are growing and thriving. 

Once fully grown, our willow trees will provide good nesting for songbirds such a as the Woodwarblers, Song Sparrows, and the California Towhees. The new trees and will also be a good foraging habitat and cover from predators for many species too.

See you around the valley!





Fully-grown narrow-leaf willow.

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!

Calaveras Road Reopens January 3, 2019

We are pleased to inform you that Calaveras Road between Geary Road and Felter Road will reopen to all traffic, weekdays, weekends, and holidays starting Thursday, January 3, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. 

Please note construction trucks and large vehicles will still be using the road, so please drive and ride with caution.

Background:

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), owner and operator of the Hetch Hetchy Regional Water System, is completing construction of a new dam to replace the former 93-year-old Dam at Calaveras Reservoir in the Sunol Valley.

Restoring Calaveras Reservoir is one of the most important projects of the $4.8 billion Water System Improvement Program. Calaveras Reservoir is the Hetch Hetchy Regional Water System’s largest Bay Area reservoir when it is full. Restoring its historic levels is crucial for water supply to 2.7 million people in the Bay Area in times of drought and emergencies. Construction on the earth and rock fill dam began in 2011.  Construction is scheduled to be complete in spring 2019.

Contacts:

Email onunez@sfwater.org or blauppe@sfwater.org

For more information, visit sfwater.org/calaverasroad

We thank you for your patience!