Protecting a Legacy Water System from Wildfire
Date/Time
Date(s) - 03/13/2024
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Location
Tuolumne County Library
Categories
The history of our remarkable ditch and canal system will be the topic of the Wednesday, March 13, program at the Sonora Library at 3:00 p.m. Barbara Balen will discuss its determination of eligibility to the National Register of Historic Places and how its management has changed over time. An example of how it has changed is the recent USDA Forest Service Community Wildfire Defense Grant, a crucial step in fortifying our community against the escalating threat of wildfires. This plan aims at reducing wildfire risk by using the ditch system as critical green infrastructure and managing its resources for community benefit, including developing fire water drafting points along the ditch system—
thus reducing the need to use treated water for fire suppression.
Barbara is a 4th term elected director of the Tuolumne Utilities District. She is a retired USFS cultural resources manager who worked extensively in the Complex Fire of 1987. She uses her professional experi- ence to help guide TUD’s responsibilities towards managing its resources for public benefit.
