San Francisco sues state over bid to restrict its Sierra water supplies
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Houseboats float silently as the sun sets at Don Pedro reservoir as it hovers at 32 percent of its total capacity Aug. 19, 2015 in La Grange, Calif.Leah Millis/The Chronicle
The city of San Francisco is reviving a long-simmering feud with the state over water, filing a lawsuit Friday that charges state regulators with trying to take away the city’s coveted Sierra Nevada water supplies.
The suit claims the state water board is demanding the city forfeit too much water from the Tuolumne River as part of a licensing deal for two dams in the faraway basin. State regulators have said the water is needed to maintain proper river flows and support struggling salmon, but city officials contend the demands would leave Bay Area residents and businesses vulnerable to water shortages.