Cherry Lake boat ramp, dispersed camping area to close Aug. 28

SONORA, California – The Cherry Lake boat ramp and portions of the Cherry Borrow dispersed camping area on Groveland Ranger District will close Aug. 28. Hetch Hetchy is lowering the lake level so it may make critical repairs to the dam’s intake valves.

Cherry Lake’s elevation is currently below 4,570 feet, or 130 feet below the spillway. Conditions are becoming unsafe to launch boats from the boat ramp or operate mechanized boats on the lake due to seen and unseen hazards. Hetch Hetchy is beginning to stage materials and equipment at the eastern end of Cherry Borrow camping area beyond the first spillway.

The road across the dam will remain open through Sept. 4, however visitors are cautioned that the gate at the Cherry Lake Dam will be closed on September 5, 2017, by which time all vehicles must be moved from the Lake Eleanor Trails side of the dam. Any vehicles remaining on the Lake Eleanor Trailhead side of the dam after Sept. 4 will be blocked until repairs are completed. Hetch Hetchy estimates repairs will be complete in about six to eight weeks.

The San Francisco Power and Utility Company must lower Cherry Lake by more than 200 feet before mid-September 2017 in order to make the repairs. The draw down began on July 15, with water levels dropping between two and five feet per day.

Preparations are underway and Hetch Hetchy is bringing many pieces of heavy construction equipment into the area. Visitors are encouraged to avoid active construction areas and follow all road signs. Construction workers and equipment will be staged on and around the dam during repairs.

According to Hetch Hetchy, “A mechanical failure of one of four high flow release valves occurred this winter. In addition, two of the high flow release valves have reached the end of their design life and are scheduled for replacement this fall. Valve repair and replacement is required to ensure future safe operations at the dam prior to the next rainy season. If not replaced, the valves could become inoperable. Such failure in the future could result in uncontrolled releases from the reservoir through the valves or over the spillway. This poses potential risks to dam and public safety.”

During repairs Forest visitors can enjoy boating opportunities at nearby Don Pedro Reservoir and recreation locations near Cherry Lake include Rainbow Pool and Carlin Falls day use areas, or enjoy the Tuolumne River’s South Fork and Middle Fork near Lumsden.

For more information about recreation at Cherry Lake or the Tuolumne River corridor, contact Stanislaus National Forest at http://www.fs.usda.gov/stanislaus or call the Groveland Ranger District at +1 209 962-7825. For questions related to the repair work at Cherry Reservoir, contact Hetch Hetchy Water and Power at +1 209 989-2000.

Though the road across the dam will be closed, can we still walk over it if we intend to head to Kibbie Ridge?

If they're working on the dam, I suspect not.