MID threatened funding for kids program at Tuolumne River Trust. How did it turn out?
The Modesto Irrigation District will keep funding a children’s program at the Tuolumne River Trust, despite unease over some of the group’s other work.
The board voted 5-0 on Tuesday to allot $30,000 in the 2022 district budget to Trekking the Tuolumne. It teaches elementary school kids about riparian ecology, uses of water and safety around rivers and canals.
Two board members asked in May why MID should pay a group that has worked for four decades to reduce river diversions to farms and cities. The board agreed to revisit the issue at budget time.
Director Larry Byrd made the motion Tuesday to retain the funding. He noted that the Trust has worked with MID on fishery restoration projects along with educating children.
“We do lock horns and butt heads over flows, and we probably will continue to do that for a number of years,” Byrd said. “But I know that this is an important program.”
Directors Paul Campbell and Stu Gilman had questioned the spending in May. They joined in Tuesday’s vote with Byrd, Nick Blom and John Mensinger.
The district has paid $25,000 a year since 2009 to have the Trust provide Trekking the Tuolumne. It will be $30,000 for 2022 because of online materials needed amid COVID-19.
MID is the Trust’s only funding source for the program, run out of its Modesto branch office. It involves classroom study, field trips and hands-on lessons such as water sampling.
No one from the Trust spoke during the Zoom meeting. Executive Director Patrick Koepele welcomed the vote in an email to The Modesto Bee.
“I’d like to extend my thanks and appreciation to the MID board for continuing this successful partnership,” he said. “Most notably though, this is a win for the community and for our kids to learn about the Tuolumne River, its importance to Modesto, how they can help steward it into the future, and how to be safe near the river and canals.”
Gilman had raised the funding issue in response to an April 21 guest opinion in The Bee. Caitlin Perkey, a policy intern with the Trust, argued that MID water rates are too low to encourage farmers to conserve. She also said the expansion of tree and vine crops has reduced the ability to fallow land during droughts.
Gilman said Tuesday that he was unfairly accused of not supporting children when he raised the issue in May. He also said Trust leaders “stab us in the back in many ways” in seeking more releases from Don Pedro Reservoir for salmon and other fish.
Gilman suggested splitting the money among the Trust and other parties that could provide similar services. This could include the children’s museum planned for downtown Modesto.
Gilman did not make a formal motion and ended up voting for Byrd’s.
The Trust is active in state and federal processes that will set long-term rules for fishery releases by MID and the Turlock Irrigation District. The nonprofit also advocates for less diversion upstream by the Hetch Hetchy system, serving much of the Bay Area.
The Trust has worked on reducing wildfire risk in Sierra Nevada watersheds and enhancing fish and recreation on Stanislaus County’s stretch of the Tuolumne.
This story was originally published September 15, 2021 at 4:00 AM.
