Phoenix Lake

A presentation was given at the Tuolumne-Stanislaus Integrated Regional Water Management Authority (T-S IRWMA) on Wednesday, October 20, 2021 on the latest update for the Phoenix Lake Preservation and Restoration Project.

To view the PowerPoint presentation, click on this link:
T-S IRWMA Phoenix Lake Update.

Vegetation removal along the southern shoreline of Phoenix Lake and removal of sediment within Chicken Creek was previously scheduled to take place in late summer of 2021. Both items of work have been rescheduled to begin as soon as possible. The maintenance work on the spillway was also rescheduled from spring/summer of 2021 to spring/summer of 2022. Work in Chicken Creek began on 4/6/2021, and vegetation removal will begin on 4/12/2021. The work was rescheduled so that Pacific, Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) could perform urgent repair work on the main canal ditch and to allow for the lake to be filled as soon as possible in anticipation of persistent, on-going drought conditions.

During the week of 3/29/2021, PG&E informed TUD that urgent repair and maintenance needed to be conducted on the some of the flumes on the main PG&E canal coming out of Lyons Lake. The repairs require PG&E to stop the flow of water from Lyons Lake to Phoenix Lake. Currently, the water level at Phoenix Lake is below normal, and there is not sufficient volume to supply water to Sonora and Jamestown during the ditch outage. Before PG&E can perform the repairs, Phoenix Lake must be filled to the normal summer water level, which is the lake’s full capacity.

Vegetation removal will take place along the southern shoreline of the lake in the areas that are below normal winter water level. This vegetation is being targeted because the lower-than-normal lake levels over the past 2 years has cause vegetation to grow there. If the lake were filled without removing the vegetation, there would be a risk that the established plants would continue to grow taller and thicker than before the project. Removing the vegetation and the root matt followed by filling the lake would eliminate that risk. Wet soil conditions will not allow equipment to access all vegetated areas; however, the District and our contractors are determined to remove as much vegetation as possible.

Anticipated Water Level Schedule:

• April 15^th – Water levels will begin to rise.
• April 30 to May 7 – Water levels will reach full lake capacity.
• May 16 – 21 – First PG&E Ditch Outage. Lake levels will drop temporarily , but should stay above normal winter water level.
• May 22 – Lake will begin to fill back up to maximum capacity.
• Mid October – Lake will begin to lower to normal winter water level.

The District is pleased to announce that the Phoenix Lake Preservation and Restoration project is nearing completion!

Last summer, over 160,000 cubic yards of sediment were removed from the reservoir. If that volume of sediment were to be placed on a football field, it would reach a height of nearly 100 feet. Many portions of the lake’s bottom have been deepened and new channels were constructed to give the lake a new form and enhanced function. The improvements will reduce the growth of prolific invasive aquatic vegetation while improving water quality, cold water habitat for fish, and for use as a domestic water supply.

To read the full report click this link, Project Update February 16, 2021.

TUD is pleased to report that great progress has been made on the project. To date, over 160,000 cubic yards of sediment has been removed from the reservoir. Vast portions of the lake bottom have been deepened and carved while water quality berms have been constructed to channelize water and improve circulation within the lake. Portions of Chicken Creek and Sullivan Creek have also been re-aligned and armored with rock and grout to prevent the creeks from migrating back to their original positions. For more information see the link below.

Click this link to read the complete Phoenix Lake Update Report – September 18, 2020.

Erik Johnson, District Engineer, presented a Construction Project update at the TUD Board meeting held on Tuesday, August 11, 2020. Project Update PowerPoint.

Residents adjacent to the Phoenix Lake area will notice heavy equipment in the area. Tuolumne Utilities District has hired Steve Manning Construction, Inc. (SMC) as the contractor for this phase of the construction project. Approximately 230,000 cubic yards of material is expected to be removed from the lake. In order to conduct dredging on Phoenix Lake, the lake will eventually be completely drained except for a small pool near the dam. Project documents are listed below:

• Phoenix Lake Project Fact Sheet
• Map of Project Work Area – Pedestrian Access

The Tuolumne Utilities District (TUD) is excited to announce that construction on the Phoenix Lake Preservation and Restoration Project (PLPRP or Project) is underway. The Project was awarded to Steve Manning Construction, Inc. (SMC) in May and construction activity begins this summer as early as July 16, 2020.

TUD would like to invite the public to attend one of three Project Information Sessions being held outdoors at the Indigeny Reserve at 14679 Summers Lane, Sonora on Thursday, July 16, 2020. TUD staff will present a project overview, answer questions and receive comments. The three sessions are being held at 4:30 pm, 5:15 pm, and 6:00pm to accommodate COVID-19 distancing requirements and allow individuals to attend when schedules allow.

After many years of meetings and careful planning, TUD is excited to announce that the Phoenix Lake Preservation and Restoration Project (Project) is finally underway! The District was awarded grant funding from the Tuolumne-Stanislaus Integrated Regional Water Management Authority (T-S IRWMA). In May 2020, the Board of Directors awarded a $4.1 million construction contract with Steve Manning Construction, Inc. (SMC) for the construction phase of the Project. Residents adjacent to the Phoenix Lake area will notice heavy equipment being moved into the area soon with actual construction activity in the reservoir beginning in late July. More details on this phase of the project can be found at this Post link: https://tudwater.com/phoenix-lake-project-update-june-24-2020/

The Tuolumne Utilities District (TUD or District) Board of Directors on Tuesday, May 5th awarded a $4.1 million contract to Steve Manning Construction, Inc. (SMC) for the construction of the Phoenix Lake Preservation and Restoration Project. The Board unanimously supported the contract approval at a Special Board meeting held May 5th via a publicly accessible electronic platform.

Residents in the vicinity of Phoenix Lake may see construction activity as soon as June depending on weather conditions. Click this link to read the complete news release, TUD Board Awards Construction Contract for the Phoenix Lake Project.

Invitation to Bid for Contractors Posted