Berkeley shred company6/21/2023 ![]() ![]() ![]() In 1944, Alameda and Contra Costa residents voted to build a wastewater treatment plant and sewer interceptor system, which EBMUD put online in 1951. The water supply had been assured, but by mid-20th century, “inadequate sewers began to turn the eastern shores of San Francisco Bay into a swamp of sewage,” according to EBMUD materials. “But the dam itself is good for another 100 years.” Water, water everywhere in century two? “As we face future droughts, we’ll need to figure out how to feed water needs while minimizing the impact on the environment,” he said. Rowan acknowledged that during the next century, innovations in water storage, water loss through leakage and pipes that are more seismic resistant will be vital. at the top of the stairs” sign at the bottom of the stairs.) (The 278 steps are commemorated on the “Complaint Dept. Stations downstream from the dam are notified whenever a large water release is needed, minimizing flooding risks.Ī quadriceps-challenging steep staircase allows access to a viewing ledge where the dam’s impressive scope and design elegance are displayed. Water is also released as needed through the sluice pipes, which remove sediment from the base of the dam. The dam is fully prepared to handle even this year’s “Big Melt,” which is already sending water cascading over the dam’s spillway, he said. The nearly 100-year-old dam is in fine shape, he said, rigorously inspected for leaks, which are also monitored by automated meters. But Pardee Dam, protected by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), cannot be visited without special permission.įor this story, however, a visit was allowed, and assistant superintendent Stephen Rowan conducted a tour and answered questions. Pardee Reservoir, and nearly Camanche Dam and Reservoir, are brimming this year, and both reservoirs offer camping, fishing, boat rentals and hiking opportunities. It’s no exaggeration to describe this as a masterful engineering accomplishment. Three aqueducts bring the water 91 miles across the San Joaquin Valley and Delta to East Bay reservoirs. Pardee Reservoir, from which East Bay water now flows, covers 2,257 acres, with a capacity of 197,950 acre-feet of water. When finished in June 1929, it and the reservoir it created were named for Pardee, whose political connections had helped shepherd through the necessary permits. In July 1927, work began on a 358-foot-high Powell Davis-designed dam on the Mokelumne River, on the boundary between Amador and Calaveras counties. According to biographical materials, “ exposure to innovative environmental conservation efforts in Germany heavily influenced his political decisions as governor, he was a strong supporter of conservation measures.”Ī major dam and reservoir system that could be controlled to reliably supply water was the answer. Visionaries of the time included hydrographer/master dam designer Arthur Powell Davis (also a major contributor to what is now Hoover Dam), and EBMUD’s first president, former mayor of Oakland and former governor of California, George Pardee. ![]() Oakland, Alameda, Berkeley, San Leandro, Albany, Emeryville, El Cerrito, Richmond and Piedmont all faced a water shortage. The region’s population was growing fast, and people were fed up. But in 1923, the East Bay had been unreliably served by a network of 18 private water companies for decades. ![]()
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