Dear Mayor London Breed and SFPUC,

I am writing to urge the SFPUC to withdraw from the so-called voluntary agreement with the state regarding regulation of SF’s Tuolumne River water diversions. Although not final, the agreement was developed only after locking Native American tribes, disadvantaged downstream communities, fishing and conservation groups, and the public out.
We call on the SFPUC to change its position and embrace science-based environmental protections for the Tuolumne River, the San Francisco Bay-Delta, and our declining salmon runs. This is urgent because SFPUC staff is fighting efforts to heal the river and the Bay and Delta it flows into. Because of water diversions by the SFPUC and other diverters, salmon have fared more poorly on the Tuolumne than on any other salmon river in the Central Valley.

In addition, the SFPUC is far behind communities like Orange County when it comes to reducing reliance on water diversions by investing in modern water management tools like water recycling.

The SFPUC’s position needs to change to align with the strong commitment San Franciscans have to protecting the environment.

Thank you.