Yosemite National Park - Tuolumne River Plan (U.S. National Park Service)

Project Status

The following is a list of the various stages that occur during a planning process. Though there are added public involvement opportunities such as meetings and workshops throughout, this outlines the major steps. They include:

  Initial public outreach
  Technical Study/Report
  Public scoping (ended 9/7/06)
> Plan development <
  Public review & comment (EA or EIS)
  Produce final plan/report
  Decision document
  Implementation of plan/project

Often a place where solitude is eminent, wilderness stretches seemingly endless before you, and the Tuolumne River begins its journey; Tuolumne Meadows lies 8,600 feet above sea level, near the eastern entrance to Yosemite National Park at Tioga Pass.

The Tuolumne River flows through the meadows of the region, supplied by water from both the Lyell and Dana forks which stem from two of the three glaciers within the park. Known to have many moods, the river tumbles downhill in a number of cascades such as Waterwheel Falls, cuts a mile-deep through the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River, and slows to a crawl as it reaches O'Shaughnessy Dam, where it then continues its' journey meandering through the rolling foothills of the Sierra Nevada.

NPS Photo by Adrienne Freeman

View of Lembert Dome and Tuolumne River.

In 1984, Congress designated approximately 83 miles of the Tuolumne River as a Wild and Scenic River. This included 54 miles of the river under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service in Yosemite National Park. In accordance with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, the National Park Service must prepare a comprehensive management plan to guide future decisions in the river corridor. The Tuolumne Wild and Scenic River Comprehensive Management Plan (Tuolumne River Plan) EIS will evaluate a range of alternatives that present the management direction for protecting the free-flowing condition and unique values of the Tuolumne River in Yosemite National Park.

Latest postings:
TRP Overview
Agenda for July 18, 2008 Workshop (7/17/08)
Tuolumne Planning Workbook page (6/19/08)
Summer 2008 events (366 kb PDF) (6/4/08)
Tuolumne River Plan Update (33 kb PDF) (6/4/08)

Check out the project manager's latest Tuolumne Planning Blog entry (6/4/08) at www.nps.gov/yose/parkmgmt/trpblog.htm.

For more information on the Tuolumne planning process, visit online at www.nps.gov/yose/parkmgmt/trp.htm.

9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling regarding the Merced River Plan can be found on the Yosemite National Park website at: www.nps.gov/yose/parkmgmt/litigation.htm.