The Tuolumne Utilities District (TUD) Board of Directors on Tuesday, May 5th awarded a $4.1 million contract to Steve Manning Construction, Inc. (SMC) for the construction of the Phoenix Lake Preservation and Restoration Project.
The Board unanimously supported the contract approval at a Special Board meeting held May 5th via a publicly accessible electronic platform.
Residents in the vicinity of Phoenix Lake may see construction activity as soon as June depending on weather conditions. During the construction phase of the project, the lake water level must be kept as low as possible to allow the lake bed to dry.
This will allow the contractor to excavate and haul the dry soil out of the reservoir and place it on the adjacent Indigeny Apple Ranch Orchards to the north of the reservoir.
Phoenix Lake is an 88-acre water storage reservoir located approximately 3 miles east of the City of Sonora.
The Phoenix Lake Preservation and Restoration Project restores water storage capacity by removing accumulated sediment, improves water quality through retention of particles, increasing water depth, establishing better circulation patterns, and enhancing aquatic habitat including wetlands function.
Once completed, this project will improve the water quality and restore storage capacity in Phoenix Lake and the Phoenix Lake watershed as well as enhance the aesthetics of the lake and surrounding area.