Sawyer Camp Trail to Close on Thursday, September 1

Sawyer Camp Trail will be closed all day next Thursday, September 1^st. The entire 6-mile trail will be closed and will reopen on Friday, September 2^nd. The closure is necessary as crews continue improvements to the water pipeline that runs adjacent to the trail.

Work also continues at the base of the Lower Crystal Springs Dam. Continuing this Friday night and for the next two weekends (through September 3rd), increased truck traffic will be present on Black Mountain Road, Skyline Blvd., Crystal Springs Road, and Polhemus Rd. near the southern trailhead to the Sawyer Camp Trail.

On Friday, August 26^th at 11 p.m., trucks will be delivering cement for the foundation pour at the base of the dam. Truck traffic will continue throughout the night, and throughout Saturday day until approximately 6 p.m.

This work will enlarge the dam’s stilling basin to ensure any spillway flows are slowed as they enter San Mateo Creek.

Please call our 24-hour answering service if you have any questions or concerns. You can also receive email alerts about construction in the Peninsula Watershed by subscribing to www.sfwater.org/SCT or follow us on Twitter: @SawyerCampTrail.

Concrete pour at the base of LCSD, August 13, 2011.

PG&E to Perform Water-test of Lines Near San Andreas Trail

Hikers along the San Andreas Trail near San Bruno may have noticed two large green trucks near the northern trailhead (see photo below). These trucks are onsite as part of PG&E’s nearby pipeline testing (www.pge.com). These trucks - called “Baker Tanks” - receive and contain the water that PG&E uses for these tests.

Starting on Sunday, August 28^th and continuing for a few weeks, trail users may see up to 52 tanks near the San Andreas Trail as PG&E progresses with testing.

This activity is not related to Hetch Hetchy Regional Water System construction in San Andreas Lake.

Increased Truck Traffic on Friday Nights thru Saturday Days (Approximately 6PM)

Continuing tomorrow night and for the next three Friday nights (through September 3rd), increased truck traffic will be present on Black Mountain Road, Skyline Blvd., Crystal Springs Road, and Polhemus Rd. near the southern trailhead to the Sawyer Camp Trail.

On Friday, August 19th at 11 p.m., trucks will be delivering cement for the continued foundation pour at the base of the Lower Crystal Springs Dam. Truck traffic will continue throughout the night, and throughout Saturday day.

The work will enlarge the dam’s stilling basin (see photo) to ensure any spillway flows are slowed as they enter San Mateo Creek.

Please call our 24-hour answering service if you have any questions or concerns. You can also receive email alerts about construction in the Peninsula Watershed by subscribing to www.sfwater.org/SCT or follow us on Twitter: @SawyerCampTrail.

Increased Truck Traffic on Friday Nights into Saturday Mornings

Starting tonight and continuing for the next four Friday nights (through September 3rd), increased truck traffic will be present on Black Mountain Road, Skyline Blvd. and Crystal Springs Road near the southern trailhead to the Sawyer Camp Trail.

Beginning tonight, Friday, August 12th at 11 p.m., trucks will be delivering cement for a large foundation pour at the base of the Lower Crystal Springs Dam. Truck traffic will continue throughout the night until approximately noon on Saturday.

The work will enlarge the dam’s stilling basin (see photo) to ensure any spillway flows are slowed as they enter San Mateo Creek.

Please call our 24-hour answering service if you have any questions or concerns. You can also receive email alerts about construction in the Peninsula Watershed by subscribing to www.sfwater.org/SCT or follow us on Twitter: @SawyerCampTrail.

Red-shouldered Hawks Leave the Nest

In spring 2011, our construction team encountered a new friend in the trees near San Andreas Lake…a nesting red-shouldered hawk! To protect the large bird and her nest, the team gave the hawk a wide buffer zone and carefully phased in work under the full-time supervision of a wildlife biologist.

Four fledgling hawks successfully left the nest in late June and are thriving in the town of Millbrae (photo above).

The ongoing construction in the Peninsula Watershed is monitored by biologists and environmental experts. If you have any questions about the Water System Improvement Program, please call us 24-hours a day at (866) 973-1476.

Sawyer Camp Trail Closures

Don’t forget…the Tour de Peninsula event is this Sunday, August 7th. Sawyer Camp Trail will be closed from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the annual ride. For route info, check their website at http://www.supportparks.org/tdp/

On Monday morning August 8, Sawyer Camp Trail will be closed from the Hillcrest Gate in Millbrae to the 5-mile marker from 6 a.m. to noon. Only one mile of the northern section of the trail will be closed – the southern entry at Crystal Springs Road and Skyline Blvd. will remain open, but there will be no through access.

A short closure of the southern section of the trail is expected in August. Subscribe here (see right) for automatic trail closure alerts via email, or follow us on Twitter: @SawyerCampTrail!