News & Media

Tuolumne River partners complete habitat restoration project

December 12, 2024

Pioneering project includes 10 acres of native species habitat.

LA GRANGE, Calif. – As part of our ongoing commitment to provide a healthy habitat for fish to thrive, Tuolumne River partners Modesto Irrigation District (MID), Turlock Irrigation District (TID) and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) are excited to announce the construction completion of the Tuolumne River Mainstem Channel Restoration Upstream of Old La Grange Bridge Project.

MID, TID and the SFPUC provided more than 7.5 acres of mainstem restoration, more than 2.5 acres of floodplain habitat and more than 50,000 cubic yards of spawning gravel. These actions are expected to result in a five-fold increase of trout and salmon habitat upstream of Old La Grange Bridge.

“We remain committed to be good stewards of the Tuolumne and implement solutions to provide a healthy river habitat,” said TID General Manager Brad Koehn. “There is new spawning and in-channel habitat, and we’re encouraged as we’re already seeing fish spawning in the new gravel.”

Spawning habitats were created by cleaning, washing and returning gravel originally removed from the river during the Gold Rush, to the lower Tuolumne River in the form of riffles and gravel bars. In addition to the creation of a spawning habitat, large wood features and boulder clusters were added to increase in-channel habitat complexity and diversity.
Project design and implementation was led by McBain and Associates Applied River Sciences in collaboration with and valuable input from experts from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk and Northern Valley Yokuts tribes. Njirich and Sons, Inc. were retained to complete the work, with their team that included Ford Construction.

“There is tremendous power in partnerships,” said Dennis Herrera, General Manager of the SFPUC. “Together, we’re doing the work to protect and restore native fish populations on the Tuolumne River. The Old La Grange Bridge Habitat Restoration Project is also a preview of the future. This project is an example of many projects to come as part of our longer-term commitment to significantly invest in restoring habitat on the Tuolumne as part of the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program.”
The project began in June 2024 and was completed four months later in mid-October. The total cost of the project was estimated at $7.8 million, including funding from a grant from the California Department Fish and Wildlife coupled with MID, TID and the SFPUC’s self-funded commitment of $2.3 million. The project was successfully completed under budget.

“After years of studying the river, we are thrilled to apply what we’ve learned and execute solutions with real-life benefits,” said MID General Manager Jimi Netniss. “This is one of many projects to come that solidifies our commitment to creating a vibrant environment for Tuolumne River fish.”
MID, TID and the SFPUC have made a historic, self-funded commitment of $80 million to design and implement a collaborative, holistic habitat restoration program along the lower Tuolumne River as part of the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program. By 2030 and with the help of renowned experts River Partners and Applied River Sciences, we aim to develop 77 acres of suitable salmon rearing and floodplain habitat and add approximately 100,000 tons of gravel in specific reaches of the river for optimal spawning and rearing.

To see more of the Old La Grange Bridge Project, view a short video here.

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About the Turlock Irrigation District (TID)

Established in 1887, the Turlock Irrigation District (TID) was the first irrigation district in the state. Today it is one of only four in California that also provides electric retail energy directly to homes, farms, and businesses. TID delivers irrigation water through over 250 miles of a gravity-fed canal system that irrigates approximately 150,000 acres of farmland. TID owns and operates an integrated and diverse electric generation, transmission and distribution system that provides power to a population of 240,000 within a 662 square-mile area. With a drive towards innovation, TID has been a leader in new initiatives and data-driven practices to provide value to its customers. For more information about TID visit TID.org, follow @TurlockID on social media platforms and subscribe to TID Water & Power Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.