[Lake Merced]

URGING THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION TO ALLOCATE SUFFICIENT FUNDING TO PERFORM AN ASSESSMENT OF VARYING LAKE LEVELS ON THE BENEFICIAL USES OF LAKE MERCED AND A STUDY TO DEVELOP A MODEL OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE AQUIFER AND THE LAKE LEVEL AT LAKE MERCED.

WHEREAS, Lake Merced is an important natural resource for San Francisco and the entire Bay Area; and,

WHEREAS, Lake Merced is a recreational resource for families to enjoy boating, fishing, bird watching, jogging, golf, picnicking, and many other activities; and,

WHEREAS, For generations, Lake Merced has been the only fishing lake in San Francisco, and,

WHEREAS, Lake Merced is also an important source of water for the City in the event of an emergency; and,

WHEREAS, Water levels at Lake Merced have decreased over the past several decades for a number of reasons; and,

WHEREAS, Currently, the City has no comprehensive data on the impact of various water levels at the lake on the beneficial uses of Lake Merced; and,

WHEREAS, In addition, no comprehensive study has been performed on Lake Merced that establishes a model for the relationship between the lake level and the underlying aquifer; and,

WHEREAS, This information is essential for establishing a long-term stewardship plan for Lake Merced; and,

WHEREAS, The Lake Merced Task Force, whose work the Board of Supervisors endorsed in Resolution #1128-99, has identified an assessment of varying lake levels on the beneficial uses of Lake Merced and a study to develop a model of the relationship between the aquifer and the lake level at Lake Merced as priorities; now therefore be it,

RESOLVED, That the Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco urges the Public Utilities Commission to allocate sufficient funding to perform an assessment of varying lake levels on the beneficial uses of Lake Merced and a study to develop a model of the relationship between the aquifer and the lake level at Lake Merced.