Contact
Sign Up for E-Billing
PAY MY BILL
  • Home
  • About
    Gallery
  • Customer Service
    Customer Service
    How Do I...
  • Board of Directors
    TUD Board
    Upcoming Meetings
    View Calendar
    BOARD AGENDA
  • Doing Business
  • Careers
  • Newsroom
  • Contact
  • Sign Up for E-Billing
  • Pay My Bill
  • TUOCO

TUOLUMNE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO CONSIDER URGENT STATE FUNDING REQUEST FOLLOWING CANAL DAMAGE THAT THREATENED COUNTYWIDE WATER SUPPLY

| Posted on |

FRIDAY, MARCH 06, 2026

Sonora, CA — The Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors will meet on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. to consider authorizing a formal letter to Governor Gavin Newsom requesting $6.3 million in state funding for construction of the Sierra Pines Raw Water Reservoir, a Tuolumne Utilities District (TUD) shovel-ready emergency water infrastructure project critical to public health, fire protection, and disaster response.
The request follows significant damage to the Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) Main Tuolumne Canal caused by a severe winter storm that struck Tuolumne County on February 17, 2026. During the multi-day storm, more than 200 trees fell onto the canal, damaging multiple wooden flumes and forcing PG&E to completely halt water flows. As a result, 95% of TUD’s drinking water supply was cut off, leaving the County dependent on limited tank storage and small-capacity groundwater wells.

“When the canal is offline, water service for much of Tuolumne County is immediately at risk,” County officials noted. “This recent emergency made clear that the lack of emergency raw water storage is no longer a future concern—it is a present and serious public safety vulnerability.”

With no sufficient alternative water supply to the system, damage to the Main Tuolumne Canal can affect multiple communities and up to 90% of the County’s population, severely limiting firefighting capabilities, reducing system pressure needed for wildfire suppression, and threatening water availability for emergency shelters, medical facilities, and other critical infrastructure.
The Sierra Pines Raw Water Reservoir would directly address this vulnerability. Designed to store 25 acre-feet of raw water—approximately 8 million gallons, the reservoir would provide emergency water supply when the canal is damaged or offline. This storage would support wildfire suppression, emergency response operations, and essential community water needs, while providing critical time for safe assessment and repair of damaged canal infrastructure.

Tuolumne Utilities District emphasized that the project is shovel-ready, with CEQA and NEPA compliance complete, allowing construction to proceed immediately upon funding approval.
“This is a modest investment compared to the devastating consequences of a prolonged, countywide water outage,” TUD leadership said. “The Sierra Pines Raw Water Reservoir is essential to protecting residents, supporting firefighters, and ensuring reliable water access during emergencies.”

If approved, the Board’s action would authorize a letter urging the State of California to prioritize funding assistance and work with Tuolumne County and Tuolumne Utilities District to identify immediate funding pathways for the project.

Meeting Details:
Date: Tuesday, March 10, 2026
Time: 8:00 a.m.
Location: Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors Chambers, 2 S. Green St., 4th Floor, Sonora, CA 95370
Agenda materials and public participation information are available on the Tuolumne County website.

Scroll to Top