September 24, 2001 — An emergency repair project is beginning this week in Yosemite National Park to replace part of the Tuolumne Meadows sewer pipeline before the area closes for the season.
This pipeline runs several thousand feet from the wastewater treatment facility on the north side of the meadow, across the meadow and Tuolumne River, to the aeration lagoons on the south side of the meadow.
Repairs to the sewer pipeline will take place in the existing "footprint" of the current deteriorating pipeline. Vegetation along the 305-foot section of the deteriorated sewer line will be removed prior to construction to prevent adverse impacts. A three to five foot trench will be excavated in the river to install the new pipeline and disconnect and remove the old line. Trench lines will be refilled and the vegetation mats will be replanted at the end of the project.
Earlier this year, park staff discovered that the Tuolumne River had greatly eroded its northern bank, exposing the 60-year old sewer line for the wastewater treatment facility for the area. If left unchecked, winter snow and ice or spring runoff could cause the pipeline to break, detrimentally affecting the plants and animals of the Tuolumne Wild and Scenic River and contaminating the clean water supply for City of San Francisco.
Yosemite National Park is committed to protecting the natural and cultural resources within its boundaries.
