Sonora, CA – The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) wants public feedback on a draft long-term water service contract with the Tuolumne Utilities District (TUD).
TUD provides water service across Tuolumne County to agricultural, residential, commercial, and industrial customers. The proposed contract provides for the storage and transport of up to 6,000 acre-feet (1.95 billion gallons) of Central Valley Project water annually from New Melones. According to BOR officials, it will supply TUD from current New Melones Unit contract supplies in the Eastside Division. They added, “The district, as an in-basin contractor, has priority to this water.”
The water will be delivered based on hydrologic conditions and Central Valley Project operations, either through releases from New Melones Reservoir or by reducing interim deliveries to Stockton East Water District or Central San Joaquin Water Conservation District, consistent with contract provisions.
“The proposed contract would authorize TUD to deliver up to 6,000 acre‑feet of surface water annually within Tuolumne County, including subcontracting to Chicken Ranch Rancheria for municipal, industrial, and irrigation uses. This supply would supplement and support Tuolumne Utilities District’s existing water service commitments within the New Melones Unit and the broader Stanislaus River Basin,” advised BOR.
The deadline for written comments is the end of the business day on September 21, 2026. They can be sent to Chanthea Khoun, Repayment Specialist, Central California Area Office, 7794 Folsom Dam Road, Folsom, CA 95630, or emailed to ckhoun@usbr.gov. To request a copy of the draft contract, call 916-537-7052 or email ckhoun@usbr.gov.