Yosemite's Merced River Draft Plan
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Alternative 3 National Park Service YOSEMITE’S MERCED RIVER DRAFT PLAN / EIS U.S. Department of the Interior ALTERNATIVE 3: DISPERSED VISITOR EXPERIENCE AND EXTENSIVE RIVERBANK RESTORATION ALTERNATIVE 3 OVERVIEW PROTECT AND ENHANCE USER CAPACITY, LAND USE, AND FACILITIES Alternative 3 would protect and enhance river values Alternative 3 would focus on providing a dispersed visitor experience, with marked reduction in commercial services and facilities. The overall The guiding principles of Alternative 3 through extensive ecological restoration that would include visitor-use levels would be lower than current levels to allow for increased resource restoration and reduced crowding and congestion in the most would include the restoration of large some portions of the 100-year floodplain and riparian popular areas of the river corridor. and meadow habitat corridorwide. This alternative would portions of the floodplain and riparian prioritize enhancement of ecological river values over the Alternative 3: Camping Facilities area within 150 feet of the river. This retention of existing infrastructure and circulation patterns. Alt 1 CAMPING Existing Locations (No Action) Alt 3 Details alternative would accommodate much • The campsite inventory in Yosemite Valley would increase 25 walk-in sites removed from the 100-year Backpackers 25 sites 0 sites floodplain, 16 of these sites will be relocated lower maximum visitor-use levels than (+2%), but it would be reduced throughout the entire river west of Backpackers RIVER VALUES corridor (-3%), as a result of natural and cultural resource Camp 4 35 sites 35 sites No change to the National Historic Register site today and offer fewer commercial services enhancement. Lower Pines 76 sites 61 sites 15 sites within 150 feet of the river removed • Enhance hydrologic connectivity of meadows to the North Pines 86 sites 52 sites 34 sites within 150 feet of the river removed and facilities. Visitor-use levels would Upper Pines 240 sites 238 sites 2 sites removed for cultural resource concerns riparian floodplain through the removal of road • All campsites within be managed to allow for dispersed Yellow Pine Administrative 4 sites 4 sites No changes to these group administrative sites segments that bisect Ahwahnee and Stoneman 150 feet of the river Wawona 99 sites 72 sites 27 sites removed within 150 feet of the river visitor experiences free of crowding or meadows. would be removed. or in culturally sensitive areas Total Existing Locations 565 sites 462 sites congestion. New Locations Alt 1 Alt 3 Details • Ecological restoration would • Campsite losses West of Backpackers 0 sites 16 sites 16 walk-in sites relocated from Backpackers to target priority areas, including would be offset less sensitive area outside 100-year floodplain Actions in Alternative 3 would: Wawona Campground the current Wawona Golf with new camping East of Camp 4 0 sites 35 sites 35 walk-in sites constructed east of Camp 4 sites adjacent to Upper Pines 0 sites 36 sites 36-site RV loop constructed • Restore 302 acres of meadow and riparian Course area; Housekeeping Total New Camping 0 sites 87 sites Camp; buildings at Yosemite Upper Pines Campground; east of Camp 4; as well as new sites Total Camping in Corridor 565 sites 549 sites habitat. Lodge within the 100- west of Backpackers Campgroup and west of Yosemite Lodge. Alternative 3: Lodging Facilities year floodplain; and the • The number of campsites in Yosemite Valley would increase • Slightly increase the camping inventory in Alt 1 dynamic 10-year floodplain to 477—a net gain of 11 sites—and the number of campsites Wilderness (No Action) Alt 3 Details Yosemite Valley (+2%) but slightly reduce area formerly occupied available throughout the corridor would be 549. 22 units 0 units Remove all permanent infrastructure. Merced Lake High Sierra Camp (0 beds) (15 people) Wilderness lodging facility converted to it throughout the entire river corridor by Upper and Lower River 150-person temporary pack camp campgrounds. Yosemite Valley Alt 1 Alt 3 Details (-3%). LODGING Ahwahnee Hotel 123 rooms 123 rooms No change at the National Historic Landmark • Enhance the free-flowing Housekeeping Camp 266 tent 0 tent cabins Remove all units from 100-year floodplain • In-park lodging availability would be reduced (-37%) as cabins • Significantly reduce the lodging inventory condition of the river by compared to existing conditions—from 1,160 to 725 units. 433 units * Retain 290 tents removing three historic bridges (Sugar Pine, Ahwahnee, (290 tents * Retain 47 hard-sided cabin-with-bath units in Yosemite Valley (-40%) and throughout Curry Village 400 units and 143 * Retain 18 units at Stoneman House the entire river corridor (-38%). and Stoneman) within the bed and banks of the river • Lodging would be removed from the 100-year floodplain at hard-sided * At Boys Town, Southside Drive is re-routed that constrict flow during high-water events. Yosemite Lodge and Housekeeping Camp and in Wilderness. units) and the area restored. Remove 102 rooms (four buildings) from the Yosemite Lodge 245 rooms 143 rooms 100-year floodplain • Reduce day-use parking for Yosemite • All permanent infrastructure at Merced Lake High Sierra Camp • Establish a large valley oak recruitment area of at least Wawona Alt 1 Alt 3 Details would be removed. A temporary pack camp with a 15-person Valley (-32%). 2.25 acres in El Portal. Wawona Hotel 104 rooms 104 rooms No change at the National Historic Landmark capacity would be sanctioned at the former High Sierra camp, Total Lodging in Corridor 1,160 units 725 units • Reduce commercial services. • Recreational providing overnight lodging in this location and converting this * El Portal: Private accommodations exist but are not on NPS land; therefore, they are not listed here. values area to designated Wilderness. • Make significant changes to the traffic would be • No new hard-sided lodging would be constructed in any part of protected the river corridor. circulation pattern in Yosemite Valley to and accommodate ecological restoration goals enhanced and reduce traffic congestion. by reducing DAY-USE CAPACITY AND VISITOR ACCESS facilities EMPLOYEE HOUSING • Accommodate approximately 13,200 and zone • Day-use parking capacity in Yosemite Valley would be reduced (-32%) compared to current capacities levels and would be actively managed and potentially restricted during peak-use season (May • Yosemite Village Area. Lost visitors per day in East Yosemite Valley. through September). Arrow: Remove temporary in the Merced Lake employee housing. Re-establish Wilderness • A day-use parking permit • Continue to manage overnight use an administrative parking lot to above Nevada Fall (Segment 1). system would be implemented accommodate 50 spaces. Retain through Wilderness quotas, and immediately for East Yosemite • In Yosemite Valley (Segment 2), crowding would be Ahwahnee Row and Tecoya employee reservation systems for lodging and Valley during peak season. reduced at key attraction sites and private boating housing. camping. would be allowed in longer reaches of the river to • The most significant changes • Yosemite Lodge Area. Remove improve dispersed recreation. to parking and circulation concessioner housing at Highland • Manage day-use capacity for East would take place in the vicinity Court and the Thousands Cabins. • Cultural and scenic values would be protected and of Yosemite Village Day-use Yosemite Valley through parking permits Construct two new concessioner enhanced as described under “Actions Common to Parking Area, and Yosemite and a reservation system required during housing areas for 104 employees and Alternatives 2-6.” Alternative 3 would also relocate and Lodge. peak season (May through September). rehabilitate Residence 1 (Superintendent’s House) to construct 78 employee parking spaces. • Day-use visitors would park at the NPS housing area and restore informal trails and • El Portal Area. Rancheria Flat: a re-designed Yosemite Village black oak woodlands near Cook’s Meadow. Construct one dormitory for 12 Day-use Parking Area with a total 550 parking spaces outside the 10-year floodplain. employees plus units for seven • A new Yosemite Lodge Day-use Parking Area with 150 spaces would be added west of the additional employees to replace lodge. temporary housing removed from Yosemite Valley. Abbieville and Trailer • Total parking for East Yosemite Valley (including day, overnight, and administrative) would be Village Housing: Remove or relocate approximately 4,300 spaces. 36 existing private residences. Continue to provide housing land use • Transit services would remain unchanged on the Highway 140 and Highway 120 East corridors; for 40 employees and volunteers at service would be reduced to one round-trip per day on the Highway 120 West corridor, and one this location. round-trip run per day would be added to the Highway 41 corridor. • East of Yosemite Valley Area. • All shuttle services within the Valley would remain the same, and the East Valley shuttle would Concessioner Stables: Retain 25 be optimized to decrease shuttle intervals to five minutes. employee beds. Leidig Meadow • Private boating would be allowed in sections of Wilderness, Yosemite Valley, the Gorge, El Portal, and Wawona. PROVIDING ACCESS AND PROTECTING RESOURCES.