Sonora, CA—Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) reports “some positive development” regarding its repair to the Tuolumne Main Canal, allowing for its reopening this week, and TUD noted that conservation is still needed until water is restored to its system, which could take a week.
Originally, the utility reported the canal would reopen on Friday, March 13. As we reported here yesterday, Tuesday, March 3, 2026, the company moved up the final return-to-service date to March 10. This afternoon, PG&E spokesperson Jeff Smith gave this updated timeline: “We’ve been able to move the schedule up a little bit, so we expect to complete repairs by the end of the day today. Then we’ll do some testing just to make sure that everything is functioning correctly tomorrow (Thursday, March 5, 2026), and right now we anticipate a return to service on Friday (March 6, 2026).”
Central Sierra Broadcasting reached out to Tuolumne Utilities District (TUD) spokesperson Abby Parcon; she relayed, “We are encouraged by this positive news and the earlier restoration date.” Adding, “TUD will notify customers when they can return to normal usage, once water is restored and our system has recovered—possibly a few days to a week after water is restored to the TUD system.”
PG&E provided this Canal Repair Progress List—Key Updates:
- Sheeting installation continued today:
- Sheeting involves driving interlocking steel, vinyl, or composite panels into the ground along the canal banks to create a rigid, often watertight retaining wall.
Flume work is advancing:
- Construction at Flume Location 2 was finished today. Work at Flume Location 5 will continue tomorrow.
Environmental assessments were completed:
- All four root ball locations were evaluated today. A root ball is the main mass of roots directly beneath the stem of a plant or tree.
Tree removal progress continues:
- More than 251 trees have been removed to support ongoing canal repair activities.
