Outdoor enthusiasts are the next beneficiaries of the decision by South San Joaquin Irrigation District to build the Tri-Dam Project in the 1950s.
The SSJID board - in conjunction with their Tri-Dam partners from the Oakdale Irrigation District - is expected to approve $6.5 million in new recreational improvements at Beardsley Reservoir on the Stanislaus River high in the Sierra.
The projects include:
•rebuilding the Beardsley Day Use Area.
•extending the Beardsley boat launch and adding new parking.
•rebuilding the Beardsley campground.
•rebuilding the China Flat Day use area.
•constructing a new campground at Black Oak Flat with 25 campsites.
The project will take two years to complete and will be overseen by the U.S. Forest Service.
Beardsley Reservoir is located at the end of the paved Beardsley Road off of Highway 108 about 5 miles east of Strawberry and about 5 miles down the canyon. There are both day use facilities and limited overnight facilities.
The improvements meet a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission requirement that Tri-Dam make recreation improvements as part of a 40-year license issued to allow the agency to continue operating Beardsley and Donnells reservoirs for the next 40 years. The two districts built the project without a penny in state or federal money.
Both SSJID and OID each realize in excess of $12 million a year from Tri-Dam proceeds after paying for the agency’s operating expenses and setting aside for capital improvement and reserves.
The SSJID has amassed $70 million so far in undistributed reserves as part of its strategy to ultimately deliver retail power to Manteca, Ripon, and Escalon by taking over the PG&E distribution area within the district’s boundaries. They expect to reduce power costs by at least 15 percent compared to what PG&E charges.
A San Joaquin Local Agency Formation Commission hearing on the power move is expected to take place in March.
The SSJID board - in conjunction with their Tri-Dam partners from the Oakdale Irrigation District - is expected to approve $6.5 million in new recreational improvements at Beardsley Reservoir on the Stanislaus River high in the Sierra.
The projects include:
•rebuilding the Beardsley Day Use Area.
•extending the Beardsley boat launch and adding new parking.
•rebuilding the Beardsley campground.
•rebuilding the China Flat Day use area.
•constructing a new campground at Black Oak Flat with 25 campsites.
The project will take two years to complete and will be overseen by the U.S. Forest Service.
Beardsley Reservoir is located at the end of the paved Beardsley Road off of Highway 108 about 5 miles east of Strawberry and about 5 miles down the canyon. There are both day use facilities and limited overnight facilities.
The improvements meet a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission requirement that Tri-Dam make recreation improvements as part of a 40-year license issued to allow the agency to continue operating Beardsley and Donnells reservoirs for the next 40 years. The two districts built the project without a penny in state or federal money.
Both SSJID and OID each realize in excess of $12 million a year from Tri-Dam proceeds after paying for the agency’s operating expenses and setting aside for capital improvement and reserves.
The SSJID has amassed $70 million so far in undistributed reserves as part of its strategy to ultimately deliver retail power to Manteca, Ripon, and Escalon by taking over the PG&E distribution area within the district’s boundaries. They expect to reduce power costs by at least 15 percent compared to what PG&E charges.
A San Joaquin Local Agency Formation Commission hearing on the power move is expected to take place in March.
