Daily Report – Yosemite National Park
Wednesday, July 22, 2020
Yosemite National Park Zone Forecast
Today: Sunny. Near the crest, a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs 74 to 84 at 5000 feet… 64 to 74 at 8000 feet.
Tonight: Partly cloudy. A 20 percent chance of showers near the crest. Colder. Lows 51 to 61 at 5000 feet…42 to 52 at 8000 feet.
Tomorrow: Sunny. Near the crest, slight chance of showers in the afternoon. Highs 74 to 82 at 5000 feet…63 to 71 at 8000 feet.
Additional Point Forecast Weather Links:
Yosemite Valley | Wawona | Tuolumne Meadows | Glacier Point | Big Oak Flat | Hetch Hetchy | El Portal | Mariposa | Badger Pass
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NEW & HAPPENING TODAY
Blasting At Mirror Lake Today
Trail crew is conducting blasting operations along the Mirror Lake Loop Wednesday, July 22. There will be intermittent closures along the trail throughout the day, and noise is expected. Contact Greg Torres at 742-8811 or Greg_Torres@nps.gov for more information. (G. Torres)
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COVID 19 Procedures & Limitations For Groups Using The Auditorium
Currently, maximum size limit for groups using the auditorium is 10 people. Please practice safe social distancing by staying 6 feet apart from one another. Wear a mask, wash hands often, wipe down tables and chairs with disinfectant before and after use, open doors for ventilation. Take out all your trash before you leave and clean the kitchen if you use it. Please contact Rhonda_Aranguana@nps.gov for scheduling and Edward_Whittle@nps.gov for AV support. (E. Whittle)
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PG&E Planned Outage July 30
PG&E will be replacing power poles on Thursday July 30. This will require power outages for the following areas:
El Portal Maintenance Complex to Rancheria Housing: 0800-0900 & 1500-1600
El Portal East of Rancheria, including all Old El Portal: 0800-1600
Chinquapin Area/Badger Pass: 0800-1600
For more information, contact Heather Gonzales, PG&E Outage Coordinator, at 726-5588. (K. Bablitch)
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Tioga Road Work
Mather Roads will be working on the Tioga Pass Road from Yosemite Creek working to the west Monday-Thursday. Use caution and look out for employees and equipment on the road. Expect traffic delays. (B. Brantley)
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RECENT NEWS
Yosemite National Park Announces Opening Of Civic Engagement For Ackerson Meadow Restoration Project – Yosemite News Release July 20, 2020
The park is soliciting public comments through August 25, 2020
Ackerson Meadow is the largest mid-elevation meadow complex in Yosemite National Park. Currently, a large unnatural erosion gully, up to 14 feet deep and 100 feet wide, is actively draining 90 acres of former wetlands in the meadow and threatening an additional 100 acres of wet meadow habitat. Yosemite National Park and Stanislaus National Forest are jointly proposing actions to reduce erosion and restore wetland functionality at Ackerson and South Ackerson Meadows.
The National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service are considering options for restoration methods to restore the meadow topography, hydrology, and vegetation ranging from completely filling the erosion gullies to using passive techniques to capture sediment.
Yosemite is hosting an online public webinar on Wednesday, August 5, 2020 from 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm PDT to share more about the Ackerson Meadow Restoration Project and provide an opportunity for the public to ask questions. The link to register and watch the webinar is available at: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/ackerson.
Public participation is an important element of the planning process and your comments are welcome. Please submit comments through August 25, 2020 using the following link: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/ackerson.
All information related to the Ackerson Meadow Restoration Project, including a project fact sheet, is available at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/ackerson. The August 5 webinar will also be recorded and will be shared via this link as well.
Public participation is an important element of the planning process and we welcome your ideas, concerns, issues, and suggestions for consideration. The National Park Service expects to initiate a formal environmental assessment process for the Ackerson Meadow Restoration project toward the end of 2020. (J. Richards)
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Yosemite Bike Share
The Yosemite Bike Share, made possible through a Yosemite Conservancy grant, is set up for the summer! 30 bikes are available from the Village Day Use Parking Lot station (Camp 6) or from “the Mall” station (down the path from the Valley Visitor Center). In the past, the Bike Share was set up in the valley campgrounds but program has been modified this year to help visitors get around while the shuttle system is not running and most of the campgrounds are closed. Bikes can be used without fee for 1-2 hours and are unlocked using an phone app. Bikes are tracked by GPS and must be returned to one of the two stations. The Bike Share Attendants are sanitizing the bikes between use 7 days per week from 10am – 5pm. Outside of the staffed hours, visitors may still use the bikes by taking them from the “sanitized corral” and returning them to the “used corral”. Questions or concerns can be sent via email to Ansley_Singer@nps.gov. Happy Cycling! (A. Singer)
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CONSTRUCTION & TRAFFIC DELAYS
Blasting in Yosemite Backcountry July 28/29
Trail Crew is planning to blast a rock slide on the trail just north of Tuolumne Peak, near the South Fork of Cathedral Creek. Operations will be conducted Tuesday, July 28 and Wednesday, July 29. Intermittent closures are expected throughout both days. Call 742-8811 or email Greg_Torres@nps.gov for more information. (G. Torres)
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Goat Meadow Road Biomass Removal
Contractors are removing dead and down trees on Goat Meadow Road from the Grizzly Giant parking lot to the park/forest boundary. Extended delays should be expected Mondays through Fridays. Sierra National Forest is also removing biomass on Goat Meadow Road. Consider alternate travel than Goat Meadow Road. This project removes high fuel loading on the road corridor, reduces potential smoke impacts, and helps offset carbon loss by burning biomass for electricity instead of burning coal or other carbon. It helps protects the communities of Wawona, Fish Camp, and the Mariposa Grove as part of an inter-agency collaboration with Mariposa County RCD and the Sierra National Forest. For more information email garrett_dickman@nps.gov. (G. Dickman)
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Tioga Tree Work
The Mather Forestry crew will be removing hazardous trees along the Tioga Road between Red Fir Forest and the May Lake Road. Work will take place from 7:30am to 4:00pm, Monday through Thursday, until further notice. Expect traffic delays. (J. Brown)
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Valley Forestry On Glacier Point Road
Valley Forestry will be removing hazard trees along the Glacier Point Road starting Monday, July 6. Work will continue throughout the summer, please anticipate traffic delays. (B. See)
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Bridalveil Falls
The Bridalveil Fall parking lot and trails are closed to visitation to allow for ongoing rehabilitation work. NPS crews are currently constructing a new accessible trail and making other trail and site repairs. Contractor work consisting of utility upgrades and parking lot and bus platform improvements will begin later this summer and will continue through May 2021. (P. Johnson)
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PG&E Construction at Cascades Substation
Beginning June 15 and continuing through October, PG&E and their contractor will be constructing a spill prevention wall around the electrical transformers at Cascades Substation (about 3.25 miles from Arch Rock). In the event of a transformer failure, the wall will prevent oil from spilling into the Merced River. Expect traffic control measures and periodic traffic delays at the substation to be in effect as the contractor is mobilizing and staging materials. (M. Outhier)
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Single Lane Travel & One-Way Traffic Controls On State Route 120 During Spring & Summer 2020
Caltrans will conduct one-way traffic control on eastbound and westbound State Route 120 between Groveland and Yosemite National Park for paving operations. Work began Monday, April 13 and will finish in the Fall of 2020. Work is scheduled between 6:00 AM and 4:00 PM Monday through Friday. Motorists should anticipate 15-minute delays and plan travel time accordingly. Work is subject to change due to traffic incidents, weather, availability of equipment and/or materials, and/or construction-related issues. Please drive carefully and watch for warning signs, workers and equipment in the roadway. (J. Donovan)